US Laws, Codes, Statutes & Cases

[37 FR 3278, Feb. 12, 1972, as amended at 37 FR 13866, July 14, 1972; 51 FR 18451, May 20, 1986; 51 FR 44608, Dec. 11, 1986; 54 FR 25716, June 19, 1989; 56 FR 49707, Oct. 1, 1991]

top

(a) Signals that are significantly viewed in a county (and thus are deemed to be significantly viewed within all communities within the county) are those that are listed in Appendix B of the memorandum opinion and order on reconsideration of the Cable Television Report and Order (Docket 18397 et al.), FCC 72–530, and those communities listed in the Significantly Viewed List as it appears on the official website of the Federal Communications Commission.

(b) Significant viewing in a cable television or satellite community for signals not shown as significantly viewed under paragraphs (a) or (d) of this section may be demonstrated by an independent professional audience survey of over-the-air television homes that covers at least two weekly periods separated by at least thirty (30) days but no more than one of which shall be a week between the months of April and September. If two surveys are taken, they shall include samples sufficient to assure that the combined surveys result in an average figure at least one standard error above the required viewing level. If surveys are taken for more than 2-weekly periods in any 12 months, all such surveys must result in an average figure at least one standard error above the required viewing level. If a cable television system serves more than one community, a single survey may be taken, provided that the sample includes over-the-air television homes from each community that are proportional to the population. A satellite carrier may demonstrate significant viewing in more than one community or satellite community through a single survey, provided that the sample includes over-the-air television homes from each community that are proportional to the population.

(c) Notice of a survey to be made pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section shall be served on all licensees or permittees of television broadcast stations within whose predicted Grade B contour (and, with respect to a survey pertaining to a station broadcasting only a digital signal, the noise limited service contour, as defined in §73.622(e)) of this chapter the cable or satellite community or communities are located, in whole or in part, and on all other system community units, franchisees, and franchise applicants in the cable community or communities at least (30) days prior to the initial survey period. Such notice shall include the name of the survey organization and a description of the procedures to be used. Objections to survey organizations or procedures shall be served on the party sponsoring the survey within twenty (20) days after receipt of such notice.

(d) Signals of television broadcast stations not encompassed by the surveys (for the periods May 1970, November 1970 and February/March 1971) used in establishing appendix B of the Memorandum Opinion and Order on Reconsideration of Cable Television Report and Order, FCC 72–530, 36 FCC 2d 326 (1972), may be demonstrated as significantly viewed on a county-wide basis by independent professional audience surveys which cover three separate, consecutive four-week periods and are otherwise comparable to the surveys used in compiling the above-referenced appendix B: Provided, however, That such demonstration shall be based upon audience survey data for the first three years of the subject station's broadcast operations.

(e) Satellite carriers that intend to retransmit the signal of a significantly viewed television broadcast station to a subscriber located outside such station's local market, as defined by §76.55(e) of this chapter, must provide written notice to all television broadcast stations that are assigned to the same local market as the intended subscriber at least 60 days before commencing retransmission of the significantly viewed station. Such satellite carriers must also provide the notifications described in §76.66(d)(5)(i) of this chapter. Such written notice must be sent via certified mail, return receipt requested, to the address for such station(s) as listed in the consolidated database maintained by the Federal Communications Commission.

(f) Satellite carriers that retransmit the signal of a significantly viewed television broadcast station to a subscriber located outside such station's local market must list all such stations and the communities to which they are retransmitted on their website.

(g) Signals of analog or digital significantly viewed television broadcast stations may not be retransmitted by satellite carriers to subscribers who do not receive local-into-local service, including a station affiliated with the same network as the significantly viewed station, pursuant to §76.66 of this chapter; except that a satellite carrier may retransmit a significantly viewed signal of a television broadcast station to a subscriber who receives local-into-local service but does not receive a local station affiliated with the same network as the significantly viewed station, if

(1) There is no station affiliated with the same television network as the station whose signal is significantly viewed; or

(2) The station affiliated with the same television network as the station whose signal is significantly viewed has granted a waiver in accordance with 47 U.S.C. 340(b)(4).

(h) Signals of significantly viewed network stations that originate as digital signals may not be retransmitted to subscribers unless the satellite carrier retransmits the digital signal of the local network station, which is affiliated with the same television network as the network station whose signal is significantly viewed, in either

(1) At least the equivalent bandwidth of the significantly viewed station or

(2) The entire bandwidth of the digital signal broadcast by such local station.

(i) For purposes of paragraph's (g) and (h) of this section, television network and network station are as defined in 47 U.S.C. 339(d).

(j) Notwithstanding the requirements of this section, the signal of a television broadcast station will be deemed to be significantly viewed if such station is shown to qualify for such status pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 341(a).

(k) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a satellite carrier may not retransmit as significantly viewed the signal of a television broadcast station into the Designated Market Areas identified in 47 U.S.C. 341(b).

[37 FR 3278, Feb. 12, 1972, as amended at 37 FR 13866, July 14, 1972; 40 FR 48930, Oct. 20, 1975; 41 FR 32429, Aug. 3, 1976; 42 FR 19346, Apr. 13, 1977; 53 FR 17051, May 13, 1988; 56 FR 33392, July 22, 1991; 70 FR 76529, Dec. 27, 2005]

top

For purposes of the must-carry rules set forth in this subpart, the following definitions apply:

(a) Qualified noncommercial educational (NCE) television station. A qualified NCE television station is any television broadcast station which

(1)(i) Under the rules and regulations of the Commission in effect on March 29, 1990, is licensed by the Commission as an NCE television broadcast station and which is owned and operated by a public agency, nonprofit foundation, corporation, or association; and

(ii) Has as its licensee an entity which is eligible to receive a community service grant, or any successor grant thereto, from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, or any successor organization thereto, on the basis of the formula set forth in section 396(k)(6)(B) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended; or

(2) Is owned and operated by a municipality and transmits noncommercial programs for educational programs for educational purposes, as defined in §73.621 of this chapter, for at least 50 percent of its broadcast week.

(3) This definition includes:

(i) The translator of any NCE television station with five watts or higher power serving the franchise area,

(ii) A full-service station or translator if such station or translator is licensed to a channel reserved for NCE use pursuant to §73.606 of this chapter, or any successor regulations thereto, and

(iii) Such stations and translators operating on channels not so reserved but otherwise qualified as NCE stations.

Note to paragraph (a): For the purposes of §76.55(a), “serving the franchise area” will be based on the predicted protected contour of the NCE translator.

(b) Qualified local noncommercial educational (NCE) television station. A qualified local NCE television station is a qualified NCE television station:

(1) That is licensed to a community whose reference point, as defined in §76.53 is within 80.45 km (50 miles) of the principal headend, as defined in §76.5(pp), of the cable system; or

(2) Whose Grade B service contour encompasses the principal headend, as defined in §76.5(pp), of the cable system.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of this section, a cable operator shall not be required to add the signal of a qualified local noncommercial educational television station not already carried under the provision of §76.56(a)(5), where such signal would be considered a distant signal for copyright purposes unless such station agrees to indemnify the cable operator for any increased copyright liability resulting from carriage of such signal on the cable system.

(c) Local commercial television station. A local commercial television station is any full power television broadcast station, other than a qualified NCE television station as defined in paragraph (a) of this section, licensed and operating on a channel regularly assigned to its community by the Commission that, with respect to a particular cable system, is within the same television market, as defined below in paragraph (e) of this section, as the cable system, except that the term local commercial television station does not include:

(1) Low power television stations, television translator stations, and passive repeaters with operate pursuant to part 74 of this chapter.

(2) A television broadcast station that would be considered a distant signal under the capable compulsory copyright license, 17 U.S.C. 111, if such station does not agree to indemnify the cable operator for any increased copyright liability resulting from carriage on the cable system; or

(3) A television broadcast station that does not deliver to the principal headend, as defined in §76.5(pp), of a cable system either a signal level of −45dBm for UHF signals or −49dBm for VHF signals at the input terminals of the signal processing equipment, i.e., the input to the first active component of the signal processing equipment relevant to the signal at issue, if such station does not agree to be responsible for the costs of delivering to the cable system a signal of good quality or a baseband video signal.

(d) Qualified low power station. A qualified low power station is any television broadcast station conforming to the low power television rules contained in part 74 of this chapter, only if:

(1) Such station broadcasts for at least the minimum number of hours of operation required by the Commission for full power television broadcast stations under part 73 of this chapter;

(2) Such station meets all obligations and requirements applicable to full power television broadcast stations under part 73 of this chapter, with respect to the broadcast of nonentertainment programming; programming and rates involving political candidates, election issues, controversial issues of public importance, editorials, and personal attacks; programming for children; and equal employment opportunity; and the Commission determines that the provision of such programming by such station would address local news and informational needs which are not being adequately served by full power television broadcast stations because of the geographic distance of such full power stations from the low power station's community of license;

(3) Such station complies with interference regulations consistent with its secondary status pursuant to part 74 of this chapter;

(4) Such station is located no more than 56.32 km (35 miles) from the cable system's principal headend, as defined in §76.5(pp), and delivers to that headend an over-the-air signal of good quality;

(5) The community of license of such station and the franchise area of the cable system are both located outside of the largest 160 Metropolitan Statistical Areas, ranked by population, as determined by the Office of Management and Budget on June 30, 1990, and the population of such community of license on such date did not exceed 35,000; and

(6) There is no full power television broadcast station licensed to any community within the county or other equivalent political subdivision (of a State) served by the cable system.

Note to paragraph (d): For the purposes of this section, a good quality signal shall mean a signal level of either -45 dBm for UHF signals or -49 dBm for VHF signals at the input terminals of the signal processing equipment, or a baseband video signal.

(e) Television market. (1) Until January 1, 2000, a commercial broadcast television station's market, unless amended pursuant to §76.59, shall be defined as its Area of Dominant Influence (ADI) as determined by Arbitron and published in the Arbitron 1991–1992 Television ADI Market Guide, as noted below, except that for areas outside the contiguous 48 states, the market of a station shall be defined using Nielsen's Designated Market Area (DMA), where applicable, as published in the Nielsen 1991–92 DMA Market and Demographic Rank Report, and that Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Guam will each be considered a single market.

(2) Effective January 1, 2000, a commercial broadcast television station's market, unless amended pursuant to §76.59, shall be defined as its Designated Market Area (DMA) as determined by Nielsen Media Research and published in its Nielsen Station Index Directory and Nielsen Station Index US Television Household Estimates or any successor publications.

(i) For the 1999 election pursuant to §76.64(f), which becomes effective on January 1, 2000, DMA assignments specified in the 1997–98 Nielsen Station Index Directory and September 1997 Nielsen Station Index US Television Household Estimates, available from Nielsen Media Research, 770 Broadway, New York, NY, shall be used.

(ii) The applicable DMA list for the 2002 election pursuant to §76.64(f) will be the DMA assignments specified in the 2000–2001 list, and so forth for each triennial election pursuant to §76.64(f).

(3) In addition, the county in which a station's community of license is located will be considered within its market.

(4) A cable system's television market(s) shall be the one or more ADI markets in which the communities it serves are located until January 1, 2000, and the one or more DMA markets in which the communities it serves are located thereafter.

(5) In the absence of any mandatory carriage complaint or market modification petition, cable operators in communities that shift from one market to another, due to the change in 1999–2000 from ADI to DMA, will be permitted to treat their systems as either in the new DMA market, or with respect to the specific stations carried prior to the market change from ADI to DMA, as in both the old ADI market and the new DMA market.

(6) If the change from the ADI market definition to the DMA market definition in 1999–2000 results in the filing of a mandatory carriage complaint, any affected party may respond to that complaint by filing a market modification request pursuant to §76.59, and these two actions may be jointly decided by the Commission.

Note to paragraph (e): For the 1996 must-carry/retransimission consent election, the ADI assignments specified in the 1991–1992 Television ADI Market Guide, available from the Arbitron Ratings Co., 9705 Patuxent Woods Drive, Columbia, MD, will apply. For the 1999 election, which becomes effective on January 1, 2000, DMA assignments specified in the 1997–98 DMA Market and Demographic Rank Report, available from Nielsen Media Research, 299 Park Avenue, New York, NY, shall be used. The applicable DMA list for the 2002 election will be the 2000–2001 list, etc.

(f) Network. For purposes of the must-carry rules, a commercial television network is an entity that offers programming on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 affiliates in 10 or more states.

[58 FR 17359, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 44951, Aug. 25, 1993; 59 FR 62344, Dec. 5, 1994; 61 FR 29313, June 10, 1996; 64 FR 42617, Aug. 5, 1999; 68 FR 17312, Apr. 9, 2003]

top

(a) Carriage of qualified noncommercial educational stations. A cable television system shall carry qualified NCE television stations in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) Each cable operator shall carry on its cable television system any qualified local NCE television station requesting carriage, except that

(i) Systems with 12 or fewer usable activated channels, as defined in §76.6(oo), shall be required to carry the signal of one such station;

(ii) Systems with 13 to 36 usable activated channels, as defined in §76.5(oo), shall be required to carry at least one qualified local NCE station, but not more than three such stations; and

(iii) Systems with more than 36 usable activated channels shall be required to carry the signals of all qualified local NCE television stations requesting carriage, but in any event at least three such signals; however a cable system with more than 36 channels shall not be required to carry an additional qualified local NCE station whose programming substantially duplicates the programming of another qualified local NCE station being carried on the system.

Note: For purposes of this paragraph, a station will be deemed to “substantially duplicate” the programming of another station if it broadcasts the same programming, simultaneous or non-simultaneous, for more than 50 percent of prime time, as defined in §76.5(n), and more than 50 percent outside of prime time over a three-month period.

(2)(i) In the case of a cable system with 12 or fewer channels that operates beyond the presence of any qualified local NCE stations, the cable operator shall import one qualified NCE television station.

(ii) A cable system with between 13 and 36 channels that operates beyond the presence of any qualified local NCE stations, the cable operator shall import at least one qualified NCE television station.

(3) A cable system with 12 or fewer usable activated channels shall not be required to remove any programming service provided to subscribers as of March 29, 1990, to satisfy these requirements, except that the first available channel must be used to satisfy these requirements.

(4) A cable system with 13 to 36 usable activated channels which carries the signal of a qualified local NCE station affiliated with a State public television network shall not be required to carry more than one qualified local NCE station affiliated with such network, if the programming of such additional stations substantially duplicates, as defined in the note in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the programming of a qualified local NCE television station receiving carriage.

(5) Notwithstanding the requirements of paragraph (a)(1) of this section, all cable operators shall continue to provide carriage to all qualified local NCE television stations whose signals were carried on their systems as of March 29, 1990. In the case of a cable system that is required to import a distance qualified NCE signal, and such system imported the signal of a qualified NCE station as of March 29, 1990, such cable system shall continue to import such signal until such time as a qualified local NCE signal is available to the cable system. This requirements may be waived with respect to a particular cable operator and a particular NCE station, upon the written consent of the cable operator and the station.

(b) Carriage of local commercial television stations. Effective June 2, 1993, a cable television system shall carry local commercial broadcast television stations in accordance with the following provisions:

(1) A cable system with 12 or fewer usable activated channels, as defined in §76.5(oo), shall carry the signals of at least three qualified local commercial television stations, except that if such system serves 300 or fewer subscribers it shall not be subject to these requirements as long as it does not delete from carriage the signal of a broadcast television station which was carried on that system on October 5, 1992.

(2) A cable system with more than 12 usable activated channels, as defined in §76.5(oo), shall carry local commercial television stations up to one-third of the aggregate number of usable activated channels of such system.

(3) If there are not enough local commercial television stations to fill the channels set aside under paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section, a cable operator of a system with 35 or fewer usable activated channels, as defined in §76.5(oo), shall, if such stations exist, carry one qualified low power television station and a cable system with more than 35 usable activated channels shall carry two qualified low power stations.

(4) Whenever the number of local commercial television stations exceeds the maximum number of signals a cable system is required to carry under paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section, the cable operator shall have discretion in selecting which such stations shall be carried on its cable system, except that

(i) Under no circumstances shall a cable operator carry a qualified low power station in lieu of a local commercial television station; and

(ii) If the cable operator elects to carry an affiliate of a broadcast network, as defined in §76.55(f), such cable operator shall carry the affiliate of such broadcast network whose community of license reference point, as defined in §76.53, is closest to the principal headend, as defined in §76.5(pp), of the cable system.

(5) A cable operator is not required to carry the signal of any local commercial television station that substantially duplicates the signal of another local commercial television station that is carried on its cable system, or to carry the signals of more than one local commercial television station affiliated with a particular broadcast network, as defined in §76.55(f). However, if a cable operator declines to carry duplicating signals, such cable operator shall carry the station whose community of license reference point, as defined in §76.53, is closest to the principal headend of the cable system. For purposes of this paragraph, substantially duplicates means that a station regularly simultaneously broadcasts the identical programming as another station for more than 50 percent of the broadcast week. For purposes of this definition, only identical episodes of a television series are considered duplicative and commercial inserts are excluded from the comparison. When the stations being compared are licensed to communities in different time zones, programming aired by a station within one hour of the identical program being broadcast by another station will be considered duplicative.

(6)  [Removed]

(7) A local commercial television station carried to fulfill the requirements of this paragraph, which subsequently elects retransmission consent pursuant to §76.64, shall continue to be carried by the cable system until the effective date of such retransmission consent election.

(c) Use of public, educational, or governmental (PEG) channels. A cable operator required to carry more than one signal of a qualified low power station or to add qualified local NCE stations in fulfillment of these must-carry obligations may do so, subject to approval by the franchising authority pursuant to Section 611 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, by placing such additional station on public, educational, or governmental channels not in use for their designated purposes.

(d) Availability of signals. (1) Local commercial television stations carried in fulfillment of the requirements of this section shall be provided to every subscriber of a cable system. Such signals shall be viewable via cable on all television receivers of a subscriber which are connected to a cable system by a cable operator or for which a cable operator provides a connection.

(2) Qualified local NCE television stations carried in fulfillment of the carriage obligations of a cable operator under this section shall be available to every subscriber as part of the cable system's lowest priced service tier that includes the retransmission of local commercial television broadcast signals.

(e) Carriage of additional broadcast television signals on such system shall be at the discretion of the cable operator, subject to the retransmission consent rules, §76.64. A cable system may also carry any ancillary or other transmission contained in the broadcast television signal.

Note 1 to §76.56: Section 76.1620 provides notification requirements for a cable operator who authorizes subscribers to install additional receiver connections, but does not provide the subscriber with such connections, or with the equipment and materials for such connections.

Note 2 to §76.56: Section 76.1614 provides response requirements for a cable operator who receives a written request to identify its must-carry signals.

Note 3 to §76.56: Section 76.1709 provides recordkeeping requirements with regard to a cable operator's list of must-carry signals.

[58 FR 17360, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 39161, July 22, 1993; 58 FR 40368, July 28, 1993; 59 FR 62344, Dec. 5, 1994; 65 FR 53614, Sept. 5, 2000; 66 FR 16553, Mar. 26, 2001]

top

(a) At the election of the licensee of a local commercial broadcast television station, and for the purpose of this section, a qualified low power television station, carried in fulfillment of the must-carry obligations, a cable operator shall carry such signal on the cable system channel number on which the local commercial television station is broadcast over the air, or on the channel on which it was carried on July 19, 1985, or on the channel on which it was carried on January 1, 1992.

(b) At the election of the licensee of a qualified local NCE broadcast television station carried in fulfillment of the must-carry obligations, a cable operator shall carry such signal on the cable system channel number on which the qualified NCE television station is broadcast over the air, or on the channel on which it was carried on July 19, 1985.

(c) With respect to digital signals of a television station carried in fulfillment of the must-carry obligations, a cable operator shall carry the information necessary to identify and tune to the broadcast television signal.

(d) Any signal carried in fulfillment of the must-carry obligations may be carried on such other channel number as is mutually agreed upon by the station and the cable operator.

(e) At the time a local commercial station elects must-carry status pursuant to §76.64, such station shall notify the cable system of its choice of channel position as specified in paragraphs (a), (b), and (d) of this section. A qualified NCE stations shall notify the cable system of its choice of channel position when it requests carriage. Channel positioning requests from local commercial stations shall be fulfilled by the cable operator no later than October 6, 1993.

(f) Pursuant to §76.64(f)(3), a local commercial broadcast television station that fails to make an election is deemed a must-carry station. A cable operator shall carry such a television station on the cable system channel number on which the local commercial television station is broadcast over the air, or on the channel on which it was carried on July 19, 1985, or on the channel on which it was carried on January 1, 1992. In the event that none of these specified channel positions is available due to a channel positioning request from a commercial television station affirmatively asserting its must-carry rights or such a request from a qualified local noncommercial educational station, the cable operator shall place the signal of such a television station on a channel of the cable system's choice, so long as that channel is included on the basic service tier.

Note to §76.57: Any existing agreement for channel position between a local commercial station entitled to must-carry status and a cable operator entered into prior to June 26, 1990, may continue through the expiration of such agreement.

[58 FR 17361, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 40368, July 28, 1993; 59 FR 62345, Dec. 5, 1994; 66 FR 16553, Mar. 26, 2001]

top

(a) The Commission, following a written request from a broadcast station or a cable system, may deem that the television market of a particular commercial television broadcast station should include additional communities within its television market or exclude communities from such station's television market. In this respect, communities may be considered part of more than one television market.

(b) Such requests for modification of a television market shall be submitted in accordance with §76.7, petitions for special relief, and shall include the following evidence:

(1) A map or maps illustrating the relevant community locations and geographic features, station transmitter sites, cable system headend locations, terrain features that would affect station reception, mileage between the community and the television station transmitter site, transportation routes and any other evidence contributing to the scope of the market.

(2) Grade B contour maps delineating the station's technical service area and showing the location of the cable system headends and communities in relation to the service areas.

Note to paragraph (b)(2): Service area maps using Longley-Rice (version 1.2.2) propagation curves may also be included to support a technical service exhibit.

(3) Available data on shopping and labor patterns in the local market.

(4) Television station programming information derived from station logs or the local edition of the television guide.

(5) Cable system channel line-up cards or other exhibits establishing historic carriage, such as television guide listings.

(6) Published audience data for the relevant station showing its average all day audience (i.e., the reported audience averaged over Sunday-Saturday, 7 a.m.–1 a.m., or an equivalent time period) for both cable and noncable households or other specific audience indicia, such as station advertising and sales data or viewer contribution records.

(c) Petitions for Special Relief to modify television markets that do not include such evidence shall be dismissed without prejudice and may be refiled at a later date with the appropriate filing fee.

(d) A cable operator shall not delete from carriage the signal of a commercial television station during the pendency of any proceeding pursuant to this section.

[58 FR 17361, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 64 FR 33796, June 24, 1999; 67 FR 53892, Aug. 22, 2002]

top

A cable operator is prohibited from accepting or requesting monetary payment or other valuable consideration in exchange either for carriage or channel positioning of any broadcast television station carried in fulfillment of the must-carry requirements, except that

(a) Any such station may be required to bear the costs associated with delivering a good quality signal or a baseband video signal to the principal headend of the cable system; or

(b) A cable operator may accept payments from stations which would be considered distant signals under the cable compulsory copyright license, 17 U.S.C. 111, as indemnification for any increased copyright liability resulting from carriage of such signal.

Note: A cable operator may continue to accept monetary payment or other valuable consideration in exchange for carriage or channel positioning of the signal of any local commercial television station carried in fulfillment of the must-carry requirements, through, but not beyond, the date of expiration of an agreement between a cable operator and a local commercial television station entered into prior to June 26, 1990.

(c) A cable operator may accept payments from stations pursuant to a retransmission consent agreement, even if such station will be counted towards the must-carry complement, as long as all other applicable rules are adhered to.

[58 FR 17362, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 62345, Dec. 5, 1994]

top

(a) Complaints regarding carriage of local commercial television stations. (1) Whenever a local commercial television station or a qualified low power television station believes that a cable operator has failed to meet its carriage or channel positioning obligations, pursuant to §§76.56 and 76.57, such station shall notify the operator, in writing, of the alleged failure and identify its reasons for believing that the cable operator is obligated to carry the signal of such station or position such signal on a particular channel.

(2) The cable operator shall, within 30 days of receipt of such written notification, respond in writing to such notification and either commence to carry the signal of such station in accordance with the terms requested or state its reasons for believing that it is not obligated to carry such signal or is in compliance with the channel positioning and repositioning and other requirements of the must-carry rules. If a refusal for carriage is based on the station's distance from the cable system's principal headend, the operator's response shall include the location of such headend. If a cable operator denies carriage on the basis of the failure of the station to deliver a good quality signal at the cable system's principal headend, the cable operator must provide a list of equipment used to make the measurements, the point of measurement and a list and detailed description of the reception and over-the-air signal processing equipment used, including sketches such as block diagrams and a description of the methodology used for processing the signal at issue, in its response.

(3) A local commercial television station or qualified low power television station that is denied carriage or channel positioning or repositioning in accordance with the must-carry rules by a cable operator may file a complaint with the Commission in accordance with the procedures set forth in §76.7 of this part. In addition to the requirements of §76.7 of this part, such complaint shall specifically:

(i) Allege the manner in which such cable operator has failed to meet its obligations and the basis for such allegations.

(ii) Be accompanied by the notice from the complainant to the cable television system operator, and the cable television system operator's response, if any. If no timely response was received, the complaint shall so state.

(iii) Establish the complaint is being filed within the sixty-day deadline stated in paragraph (a)(5) of this section.

(4) If the Commission determines that a cable operator has failed to meet its must-carry obligations, the Commission shall order that, within 45 days of such order or such other time period as the Commission may specify, the cable operator reposition the complaining station or, in the case of an obligation to carry a station, commence or resume carriage of the station and continue such carriage for at least 12 months. If the Commission determines that the cable operator has fully met the must-carry requirements, it shall dismiss the complaint.

(5) No must-carry complaint filed pursuant to paragraph (a) of this section will be accepted by the Commission if filed more than sixty (60) days after—

(i) The denial by a cable television system operator of request for carriage or channel position contained in the notice required by paragraph (a)(1) of this section, or

(ii) The failure to respond to such notice within the time period allowed by paragraph (a)(2) of this section.

(b) Complaints regarding carriage of qualified local NCE television stations. (1) Whenever a qualified local NCE television station believes that a cable operator has failed to comply with the signal carriage or channel positioning requirements, pursuant to §§76.56 through 76.57 of this part, the station may file a complaint with the Commission in accordance with the procedures set forth in §76.7 of this part. In addition to the requirements of §76.7 of this part, such complaint shall specifically:

(i) Allege the manner in which such cable operator has failed to comply with such requirements and state the basis for such allegations.

(ii) Be accompanied by any relevant correspondence between the complainant and the cable television system operator.

(2) If the Commission determines that a cable operator has failed to meet its must-carry obligations, the Commission shall order that, within 45 days of such order or such other period as the Commission may specify, the cable operator reposition the complaining station or, in the case of an obligation to carry a station, commence or resume carriage of the station and continue such carriage for a period of time the Commission deems appropriate for the specific case under consideration. If the Commission determines that the cable operator has fully met the must-carry requirements, it shall dismiss the complaint.

(3) With respect to must-carry complaints filed pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, such complaints may be filed at any time the complainant believes that the cable television system operator has failed to comply with the applicable provisions of subpart D of this part.

[58 FR 17362, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 64 FR 6572, Feb. 10, 1999]

top

(a) Cable operators shall carry the entirety of the program schedule of any television station (including low power television stations) carried by the system unless carriage of specific programming is prohibited, and other programming authorized to be substituted, under §76.67 or subpart F of part 76, or unless carriage is pursuant to a valid retransmission consent agreement for the entire signal or any portion thereof as provided in §76.64.

(b) Each such television broadcast signal carried shall be carried without material degradation, and, for analog signals, in compliance with technical standards set forth in subpart K of this part.

(c) Each local commercial television station whose signal is carried shall, to the extent technically feasible and consistent with good engineering practice, be provided no less than the same quality of signal processing and carriage provided for carriage of any other type of standard television signal.

(d) Each qualified local noncommercial educational television station whose signal is carried shall be provided with bandwidth and technical capacity equivalent to that provided to commercial television broadcast stations carried.

(e) Each commercial broadcast television station carried pursuant to §76.56 shall include in its entirety the primary video, accompanying audio, and closed captioning data contained in line 21 of the vertical blanking interval and, to the extent technically feasible, program-related material carried in the vertical blanking interval or on subcarriers. Where appropriate and feasible, operators may delete signal enhancements, such as ghost-canceling, from the broadcast signal and employ such enhancements at the system headend or headends.

(f) Each qualified local NCE television station carried pursuant to §76.56 shall include in its entirety the primary video, accompanying audio, and closed captioning data contained in line 21 of the vertical blanking interval and, to the extent technically feasible, program-related material carried in the vertical blanking interval or on subcarriers, that may be necessary for receipt of programming by handicapped persons or for educational or language purposes.

(g) With respect to carriage of digital signals, operators are not required to carry ancillary or supplementary transmissions or non-program related video material.

[58 FR 17362, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 62345, Dec. 5, 1994; 66 FR 16553, Mar. 26, 2001]

top

(a) After 12:01 a.m. on October 6, 1993, no multichannel video programming distributor shall retransmit the signal of any commercial broadcasting station without the express authority of the originating station, except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section.

(b) A commercial broadcast signal may be retransmitted without express authority of the originating station if—

(1) The distributor is a cable system and the signal is that of a commercial television station (including a low-power television station) that is being carried pursuant to the Commission's must-carry rules set forth in §76.56;

(2) The multichannel video programming distributor obtains the signal of a superstation that is distributed by a satellite carrier and the originating station was a superstation on May 1, 1991, and the distribution is made only to areas outside the local market of the originating station; or

(3) The distributor is a satellite carrier and the signal is transmitted directly to a home satellite antenna, provided that:

(i) The broadcast station is not owned or operated by, or affiliated with, a broadcasting network and its signal was retransmitted by a satellite carrier on May 1, 1991, or

(ii) The broadcast station is owned or operated by, or affiliated with a broadcasting network, and the household receiving the signal is an unserved household.

(c) For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) A satellite carrier is an entity that uses the facilities of a satellite or satellite service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, to establish and operate a channel of communications for point-to-multipoint distribution of television station signals, and that owns or leases a capacity or service on a satellite in order to provide such point-to-multipoint distribution, except to the extent that such entity provides such distribution pursuant to tariff under the Communications Act of 1934, other than for private home viewing;

(2) A superstation is a television broadcast station other than a network station, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission that is secondarily transmitted by a satellite carrier;

(3) An unserved household with respect to a television network is a household that

(i) Cannot receive, through the use of a conventional outdoor rooftop receiving antenna, an over-the-air signal of grade B intensity of a primary network station affiliated with that network, and

(ii) Has not, within 90 days before the date on which that household subscribes, either initially or on renewal, received secondary transmissions by a satellite carrier of a network station affiliated with that network, subscribed to a cable system that provides the signal of a primary network station affiliated with the network.

(4) A primary network station is a network station that broadcasts or rebroadcasts the basic programming service of a particular national network;

(5) The terms “network station,” and “secondary transmission” have the meanings given them in 17 U.S.C. 111(f).

(d) A multichannel video program distributor is an entity such as, but not limited to, a cable operator, a BRS/EBS provider, a direct broadcast satellite service, a television receive-only satellite program distributor, or a satellite master antenna television system operator, that makes available for purchase, by subscribers or customers, multiple channels of video programming.

(e) The retransmission consent requirements of this section are not applicable to broadcast signals received by master antenna television facilities or by direct over-the-air reception in conjunction with the provision of service by a multichannel video program distributor provided that the multichannel video program distributor makes reception of such signals available without charge and at the subscribers option and provided further that the antenna facility used for the reception of such signals is either owned by the subscriber or the building owner; or under the control and available for purchase by the subscriber or the building owner upon termination of service.

(f) Commercial television stations are required to make elections between retransmission consent and must-carry status according to the following schedule:

(1) The initial election must be made by June 17, 1993.

(2) Subsequent elections must be made at three year intervals; the second election must be made by October 1, 1996 and will take effect on January 1, 1997; the third election must be made by October 1, 1999 and will take effect on January 1, 2000, etc.

(3) Television stations that fail to make an election by the specified deadline will be deemed to have elected must carry status for the relevant three-year period.

(4) New television stations and stations that return their analog spectrum allocation and broadcast in digital only shall make their initial election any time between 60 days prior to commencing broadcast and 30 days after commencing broadcast or commencing broadcasting in digital only; such initial election shall take effect 90 days after it is made.

(5) Television broadcast stations that become eligible for must carry status with respect to a cable system or systems due to a change in the market definition may, within 30 days of the effective date of the new definition, elect must-carry status with respect to such system or systems. Such elections shall take effect 90 days after they are made.

(g) If one or more franchise areas served by a cable system overlaps with one or more franchise areas served by another cable system, television broadcast stations are required to make the same election for both cable systems.

(h) On or before each must-carry/retransmission consent election deadline, each television broadcast station shall place copies of all of its election statements in the station's public file, and shall send via certified mail to each cable system in the station's defined market a copy of the station's election statement with respect to that operator.

(i) Notwithstanding a television station's election of must-carry status, if a cable operator proposes to retransmit that station's signal without according the station must-carry rights (i.e., pursuant to §76.56(e)), the operator must obtain the station's express authority prior to retransmitting its signal.

(j) Retransmission consent agreements between a broadcast station and a multichannel video programming distributor shall be in writing and shall specify the extent of the consent being granted, whether for the entire signal or any portion of the signal. This rule applies for either the analog or the digital signal of a television station.

(k) A cable system commencing new operation is required to notify all local commercial and noncommercial broadcast stations of its intent to commence service. The cable operator must send such notification, by certified mail, at least 60 days prior to commencing cable service. Commercial broadcast stations must notify the cable system within 30 days of the receipt of such notice of their election for either must-carry or retransmission consent with respect to such new cable system. If the commercial broadcast station elects must-carry, it must also indicate its channel position in its election statement to the cable system. Such election shall remain valid for the remainder of any three-year election interval, as established in §76.64(f)(2). Noncommercial educational broadcast stations should notify the cable operator of their request for carriage and their channel position. The new cable system must notify each station if its signal quality does not meet the standards for carriage and if any copyright liability would be incurred for the carriage of such signal. Pursuant to §76.57(e), a commercial broadcast station which fails to respond to such a notice shall be deemed to be a must-carry station for the remainder of the current three-year election period.

(l) Exclusive retransmission consent agreements are prohibited. No television broadcast station shall make or negotiate any agreement with one multichannel video programming distributor for carriage to the exclusion of other multichannel video programming distributors. This paragraph shall terminate at midnight on December 31, 2009.

(m) A multichannel video programming distributor providing an all-band FM radio broadcast service (a service that does not involve the individual processing of specific broadcast signals) shall obtain retransmission consents from all FM radio broadcast stations that are included on the service that have transmitters located within 92 kilometers (57 miles) of the receiving antenna for such service. Stations outside of this 92 kilometer (57 miles) radius shall be presumed not to be carried in an all-band reception mode but may affirmatively assert retransmission consent rights by providing 30 days advance notice to the distributor.

Note 1 to §76.64: Section 76.1608 provides notification requirements for a cable system that changes its technical configuration in such a way as to integrate two formerly separate cable systems.

[58 FR 17363, Apr. 2, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 62345, Dec. 5, 1994; 65 FR 15575, Mar. 23, 2000; 65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000; 66 FR 16553, Mar. 26, 2001; 67 FR 17015, Apr. 9, 2002; 69 FR 72045, Dec. 10, 2004; 70 FR 40224, July 13, 2005]

top

(a) Duty to negotiate in good faith. Television broadcast stations and multichannel video programming distributors shall negotiate in good faith the terms and conditions of retransmission consent agreements to fulfill the duties established by section 325(b)(3)(C) of the Act; provided, however, that it shall not be a failure to negotiate in good faith if:

(1) The television broadcast station proposes or enters into retransmission consent agreements containing different terms and conditions, including price terms, with different multichannel video programming distributors if such different terms and conditions are based on competitive marketplace considerations; or

(2) The multichannel video programming distributor enters into retransmission consent agreements containing different terms and conditions, including price terms, with different broadcast stations if such different terms and conditions are based on competitive marketplace considerations. If a television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor negotiates in accordance with the rules and procedures set forth in this section, failure to reach an agreement is not an indication of a failure to negotiate in good faith.

(b) Good faith negotiation—(1) Standards. The following actions or practices violate a broadcast television station's or multichannel video programming distributor's (the “Negotiating Entity”) duty to negotiate retransmission consent agreements in good faith:

(i) Refusal by a Negotiating Entity to negotiate retransmission consent;

(ii) Refusal by a Negotiating Entity to designate a representative with authority to make binding representations on retransmission consent;

(iii) Refusal by a Negotiating Entity to meet and negotiate retransmission consent at reasonable times and locations, or acting in a manner that unreasonably delays retransmission consent negotiations;

(iv) Refusal by a Negotiating Entity to put forth more than a single, unilateral proposal;

(v) Failure of a Negotiating Entity to respond to a retransmission consent proposal of the other party, including the reasons for the rejection of any such proposal;

(vi) Execution by a Negotiating Entity of an agreement with any party, a term or condition of which, requires that such Negotiating Entity not enter into a retransmission consent agreement with any other television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor; and

(vii) Refusal by a Negotiating Entity to execute a written retransmission consent agreement that sets forth the full understanding of the television broadcast station and the multichannel video programming distributor.

(2) Totality of the circumstances. In addition to the standards set forth in §76.65(b)(1), a Negotiating Entity may demonstrate, based on the totality of the circumstances of a particular retransmission consent negotiation, that a television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor breached its duty to negotiate in good faith as set forth in §76.65(a).

(c) Good faith negotiation and exclusivity complaints. Any television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor aggrieved by conduct that it believes constitutes a violation of the regulations set forth in this section or §76.64(l) may commence an adjudicatory proceeding at the Commission to obtain enforcement of the rules through the filing of a complaint. The complaint shall be filed and responded to in accordance with the procedures specified in §76.7.

(d) Burden of proof. In any complaint proceeding brought under this section, the burden of proof as to the existence of a violation shall be on the complainant.

(e) Time limit on filing of complaints. Any complaint filed pursuant to this subsection must be filed within one year of the date on which one of the following events occurs:

(1) A complainant enters into a retransmission consent agreement with a television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor that the complainant alleges to violate one or more of the rules contained in this subpart; or

(2) A television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor engages in retransmission consent negotiations with a complainant that the complainant alleges to violate one or more of the rules contained in this subpart, and such negotiation is unrelated to any existing contract between the complainant and the television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor; or

(3) The complainant has notified the television broadcast station or multichannel video programming distributor that it intends to file a complaint with the Commission based on a request to negotiate retransmission consent that has been denied, unreasonably delayed, or unacknowledged in violation of one or more of the rules contained in this subpart.

(f) Termination of rules. This section shall terminate at midnight on December 31, 2009.

[70 FR 40224, July 13, 2005]

top

(a) Definitions—(1) Satellite carrier. A satellite carrier is an entity that uses the facilities of a satellite or satellite service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission, and operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service under part 25 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations or the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service under part 100 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to establish and operate a channel of communications for point-to-multipoint distribution of television station signals, and that owns or leases a capacity or a service on a satellite in order to provide such point-to-multipoint distribution, except to the extent that such entity provides such distribution pursuant to tariff under the Communications Act of 1934, other than for private home viewing.

(2) Secondary transmission. A secondary transmission is the further transmitting of a primary transmission simultaneously with the primary transmission.

(3) Subscriber. A subscriber is a person who receives a secondary transmission service from a satellite carrier and pays a fee for the service, directly or indirectly, to the satellite carrier or to a distributor.

(4) Television broadcast station. A television broadcast station is an over-the-air commercial or noncommercial television broadcast station licensed by the Commission under subpart E of part 73 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, except that such term does not include a low-power or translator television station.

(5) Television network. For purposes of this section, a television network is an entity which offers an interconnected program service on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 affiliated broadcast stations in 10 or more States.

(6) Local-into-local television service. A satellite carrier is providing local-into-local service when it retransmits a local television station signal back into the local market of that television station for reception by subscribers.

(b) Signal carriage obligations. (1) Each satellite carrier providing, under section 122 of title 17, United States Code, secondary transmissions to subscribers located within the local market of a television broadcast station of a primary transmission made by that station, shall carry upon request the signals of all television broadcast stations located within that local market, subject to section 325(b) of title 47, United States Code, and other paragraphs in this section.

(2) A satellite carrier that offers multichannel video programming distribution service in the United States to more than 5,000,000 subscribers shall, no later than December 8, 2005, carry upon request the signal originating as an analog signal of each television broadcast station that is located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii; and shall, no later than June 8, 2007, carry upon request the signals originating as digital signals of each television broadcast station that is located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii. Such satellite carrier is not required to carry the signal originating as analog after commencing carriage of digital signals on June 8, 2007. Carriage of signals originating as digital signals of each television broadcast station that is located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii shall include the entire free over-the-air signal, including multicast and high definition digital signals.

(c) Election cycle. In television markets where a satellite carrier is providing local-into-local service, a commercial television broadcast station may elect either retransmission consent, pursuant to section 325 of title 47 United States Code, or mandatory carriage, pursuant to section 338, title 47 United States Code.

(1) The first retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election cycle shall be for a four-year period commencing on January 1, 2002 and ending December 31, 2005.

(2) The second retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election cycle, and all cycles thereafter, shall be for a period of three years (e.g. the second election cycle commences on January 1, 2006 and ends at midnight on December 31, 2008).

(3) A commercial television station must notify a satellite carrier, by July 1, 2001, of its retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election for the first election cycle commencing January 1, 2002.

(4) Except as provided in paragraphs (c)(6), (d)(2) and (d)(3) of this section, local commercial television broadcast stations shall make their retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election by October 1st of the year preceding the new cycle for all election cycles after the first election cycle.

(5) A noncommercial television station must request carriage by July 1, 2001 for the first election cycle and must renew its carriage request at the same time a commercial television station must make its retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election for all subsequent cycles.

(6) A commercial television broadcast station located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii shall make its retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election by October 1, 2005, for carriage of its signal that originates as an analog signal for carriage commencing on December 8, 2005, and by April 1, 2007, for its signal that originates as a digital signal for carriage commencing on June 8, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2008. For analog and digital signal carriage cycles commencing after December 31, 2008, such stations shall follow the election cycle in paragraphs (c)(2) and (4). A noncommercial television broadcast station located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii must request carriage by October 1, 2005, for carriage of its signal that originates as an analog signal for carriage commencing on December 8, 2005, and by April 1, 2007, for its signal that originates as a digital signal for carriage commencing on June 8, 2007 and ending on December 31, 2008.

(d) Carriage procedures—(1) Carriage requests. (i) An election for mandatory carriage made by a television broadcast station shall be treated as a request for carriage. For purposes of this paragraph concerning carriage procedures, the term election request includes an election of retransmission consent or mandatory carriage.

(ii) An election request made by a television station must be in writing and sent to the satellite carrier's principal place of business, by certified mail, return receipt requested.

(iii) A television station's written notification shall include the:

(A) Station's call sign;

(B) Name of the appropriate station contact person;

(C) Station's address for purposes of receiving official correspondence;

(D) Station's community of license;

(E) Station's DMA assignment; and

(F) For commercial television stations, its election of mandatory carriage or retransmission consent.

(iv) Within 30 days of receiving a television station's carriage request, a satellite carrier shall notify in writing:

(A) those local television stations it will not carry, along with the reasons for such a decision; and

(B) those local television stations it intends to carry.

(v) A satellite carrier is not required to carry a television station, for the duration of the election cycle, if the station fails to assert its carriage rights by the deadlines established in this section.

(2) New local-into-local service. (i) A new satellite carrier or a satellite carrier providing local service in a market for the first time after July 1, 2001, shall inform each television broadcast station licensee within any local market in which a satellite carrier proposes to commence carriage of signals of stations from that market, not later than 60 days prior to the commencement of such carriage

(A) Of the carrier's intention to launch local-into-local service under this section in a local market, the identity of that local market, and the location of the carrier's proposed local receive facility for that local market;

(B) Of the right of such licensee to elect carriage under this section or grant retransmission consent under section 325(b);

(C) That such licensee has 30 days from the date of the receipt of such notice to make such election; and

(D) That failure to make such election will result in the loss of the right to demand carriage under this section for the remainder of the 3-year cycle of carriage under section 325.

(ii) Satellite carriers shall transmit the notices required by paragraph (d)(2)(i) of this section via certified mail to the address for such television station licensee listed in the consolidated database system maintained by the Commission.

(iii) A satellite carrier with more than five million subscribers shall provide the notice as required by paragraphs (d)(2)(i) and (ii) of this section to each television broadcast station located in a local market in Alaska or Hawaii, not later than March 1, 2007 with respect to carriage of digital signals; provided, further, that the notice shall also describe the carriage requirements pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 338(a)(4), and paragraph (b)(2) of this section.

(iv) A satellite carrier shall commence carriage of a local station by the later of 90 days from receipt of an election of mandatory carriage or upon commencing local-into-local service in the new television market.

(v) Within 30 days of receiving a local television station's election of mandatory carriage in a new television market, a satellite carrier shall notify in writing: Those local television stations it will not carry, along with the reasons for such decision, and those local television stations it intends to carry.

(3) New television stations. (i) A television station providing over-the-air service in a market for the first time on or after July 1, 2001, shall be considered a new television station for satellite carriage purposes.

(ii) A new television station shall make its election request, in writing, sent to the satellite carrier's principal place of business by certified mail, return receipt requested, between 60 days prior to commencing broadcasting and 30 days after commencing broadcasting. This written notification shall include the information required by paragraph (d)(1)(iii) of this section.

(iii) A satellite carrier shall commence carriage within 90 days of receiving the request for carriage from the television broadcast station or whenever the new television station provides over-the-air service.

(iv) Within 30 days of receiving a new television station's election of mandatory carriage, a satellite carrier shall notify the station in writing that it will not carry the station, along with the reasons for such decision, or that it intends to carry the station.

(4) Television broadcast stations must send election requests as provided in paragraphs (d)(1), (2), and (3) of this section on or before the relevant deadline.

(5) Elections in markets in which significantly viewed signals are carried. (i) Beginning with the election cycle described in §76.66(c)(2), the retransmission of significantly viewed signals pursuant to §76.54 by a satellite carrier that provides local-into-local service is subject to providing the notifications to stations in the market pursuant to paragraphs (d)(5)(i)(A) and (B) of this section, unless the satellite carrier was retransmitting such signals as of the date these notifications were due.

(A) In any local market in which a satellite carrier provided local-into-local service on December 8, 2004, at least 60 days prior to any date on which a station must make an election under paragraph (c) of this section, identify each affiliate of the same television network that the carrier reserves the right to retransmit into that station's local market during the next election cycle and the communities into which the satellite carrier reserves the right to make such retransmissions;

(B) In any local market in which a satellite carrier commences local-into-local service after December 8, 2004, at least 60 days prior to the commencement of service in that market, and thereafter at least 60 days prior to any date on which the station must thereafter make an election under §76.66(c) or (d)(2), identify each affiliate of the same television network that the carrier reserves the right to retransmit into that station's local market during the next election cycle.

(ii) A television broadcast station located in a market in which a satellite carrier provides local-into-local television service may elect either retransmission consent or mandatory carriage for each county within the station's local market if the satellite carrier provided notice to the station, pursuant to paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section, that it intends to carry during the next election cycle, or has been carrying on the date notification was due, in the station's local market another affiliate of the same network as a significantly viewed signal pursuant to §76.54.

(iii) A television broadcast station that elects mandatory carriage for one or more counties in its market and elects retransmission consent for one or more other counties in its market pursuant to paragraph (d)(5)(ii) of this section shall conduct a unified negotiation for the entire portion of its local market for which retransmission consent is elected.

(iv) A television broadcast station that receives a notification from a satellite carrier pursuant to paragraph (d)(5)(i) of this section with respect to an upcoming election cycle may choose either retransmission consent or mandatory carriage for any portion of the 3-year election cycle that is not covered by an existing retransmission consent agreement.

(e) Market definitions. (1) A local market, in the case of both commercial and noncommercial television broadcast stations, is the designated market area in which a station is located, and

(i) In the case of a commercial television broadcast station, all commercial television broadcast stations licensed to a community within the same designated market area within the same local market; and

(ii) In the case of a noncommercial educational television broadcast station, the market includes any station that is licensed to a community within the same designated market area as the noncommercial educational television broadcast station.

(2) A designated market area is the market area, as determined by Nielsen Media Research and published in the 1999–2000 Nielsen Station Index Directory and Nielsen Station Index United States Television Household Estimates or any successor publication. In the case of areas outside of any designated market area, any census area, borough, or other area in the State of Alaska that is outside of a designated market area, as determined by Nielsen Media Research, shall be deemed to be part of one of the local markets in the State of Alaska.

(3) A satellite carrier shall use the 1999–2000 Nielsen Station Index Directory and Nielsen Station Index United States Television Household Estimates to define television markets for the first retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election cycle commencing on January 1, 2002 and ending on December 31, 2005. The 2003–2004 Nielsen Station Index Directory and Nielsen Station Index United States Television Household Estimates shall be used for the second retransmission consent-mandatory carriage election cycle commencing January 1, 2006 and ending December 31, 2008, and so forth for each triennial election pursuant to this section. Provided, however, that a county deleted from a market by Nielsen need not be subtracted from a market in which a satellite carrier provides local-into-local service, if that county is assigned to that market in the 1999–2000 Nielsen Station Index Directory or any subsequent issue of that publication. A satellite carrier may determine which local market in the State of Alaska will be deemed to be the relevant local market in connection with each subscriber in an area in the State of Alaska that is outside of a designated market, as described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section.

(4) A local market includes all counties to which stations assigned to that market are licensed.

(f) Receive facilities. (1) A local receive facility is the reception point in each local market which a satellite carrier designates for delivery of the signal of the station for purposes of retransmission.

(2) A satellite carrier may establish another receive facility to serve a market if the location of such a facility is acceptable to at least one-half the stations with carriage rights in that market.

(3) Except as provided in 76.66(d)(2), a satellite carrier providing local-into-local service must notify local television stations of the location of the receive facility by June 1, 2001 for the first election cycle and at least 120 days prior to the commencement of all election cycles thereafter.

(4) A satellite carrier may relocate its local receive facility at the commencement of each election cycle. A satellite carrier is also permitted to relocate its local receive facility during the course of an election cycle, if it bears the signal delivery costs of the television stations affected by such a move. A satellite carrier relocating its local receive facility must provide 60 days notice to all local television stations carried in the affected television market.

(g) Good quality signal. (1) A television station asserting its right to carriage shall be required to bear the costs associated with delivering a good quality signal to the designated local receive facility of the satellite carrier or to another facility that is acceptable to at least one-half the stations asserting the right to carriage in the local market.

(2) To be considered a good quality signal for satellite carriage purposes, a television station shall deliver to the local receive facility of a satellite carrier either a signal level of -45dBm for UHF signals or -49dBm for VHF signals at the input terminals of the signal processing equipment.

(3) A satellite carrier is not required to carry a television station that does not agree to be responsible for the costs of delivering a good quality signal to the receive facility.

(h) Duplicating signals. (1) A satellite carrier shall not be required to carry upon request the signal of any local television broadcast station that substantially duplicates the signal of another local television broadcast station which is secondarily transmitted by the satellite carrier within the same local market, or the signals of more than one local commercial television broadcast station in a single local market that is affiliated with a particular television network unless such stations are licensed to communities in different States.

(2) A satellite carrier may select which duplicating signal in a market it shall carry.

(3) A satellite carrier may select which network affiliate in a market it shall carry.

(4) A satellite carrier is permitted to drop a local television station whenever that station meets the substantial duplication criteria set forth in this paragraph. A satellite carrier must add a television station to its channel line-up if such station no longer duplicates the programming of another local television station.

(5) A satellite carrier shall provide notice to its subscribers, and to the affected television station, whenever it adds or deletes a station's signal in a particular local market pursuant to this paragraph.

(6) A commercial television station substantially duplicates the programming of another commercial television station if it simultaneously broadcasts the identical programming of another station for more than 50 percent of the broadcast week.

(7) A noncommercial television station substantially duplicates the programming of another noncommercial station if it simultaneously broadcasts the same programming as another noncommercial station for more than 50 percent of prime time, as defined by §76.5(n), and more than 50 percent outside of prime time over a three month period, Provided, however, that after three noncommercial television stations are carried, the test of duplication shall be whether more than 50 percent of prime time programming and more than 50 percent outside of prime time programming is duplicative on a non-simultaneous basis.

(i) Channel positioning. (1) No satellite carrier shall be required to provide the signal of a local television broadcast station to subscribers in that station's local market on any particular channel number or to provide the signals in any particular order, except that the satellite carrier shall retransmit the signal of the local television broadcast stations to subscribers in the stations' local market on contiguous channels.

(2) The television stations subject to this paragraph include those carried under retransmission consent.

(3) All local television stations carried under mandatory carriage in a particular television market must be offered to subscribers at rates comparable to local television stations carried under retransmission consent in that same market.

(4) Within a market, no satellite carrier shall provide local-into-local service in a manner that requires subscribers to obtain additional equipment at their own expense or for an additional carrier charge in order to obtain one or more local television broadcast signals if such equipment is not required for the receipt of other local television broadcast signals.

(5) All television stations carried under mandatory carriage, in a particular market, shall be presented to subscribers in the same manner as television stations that elected retransmission consent, in that same market, on any navigational device, on-screen program guide, or menu provided by the satellite carrier.

(j) Manner of carriage. (1) Each television station carried by a satellite carrier, pursuant to this section, shall include in its entirety the primary video, accompanying audio, and closed captioning data contained in line 21 of the vertical blanking interval and, to the extent technically feasible, program-related material carried in the vertical blanking interval or on subcarriers. For noncommercial educational television stations, a satellite carrier must also carry any program-related material that may be necessary for receipt of programming by persons with disabilities or for educational or language purposes. Secondary audio programming must also be carried. Where appropriate and feasible, satellite carriers may delete signal enhancements, such as ghost-canceling, from the broadcast signal and employ such enhancements at the local receive facility.

(2) A satellite carrier, at its discretion, may carry any ancillary service transmission on the vertical blanking interval or the aural baseband of any television broadcast signal, including, but not limited to, multichannel television sound and teletext.

(k) Material degradation. Each local television station whose signal is carried under mandatory carriage shall, to the extent technically feasible and consistent with good engineering practice, be provided with the same quality of signal processing provided to television stations electing retransmission consent. A satellite carrier is permitted to use reasonable digital compression techniques in the carriage of local television stations.

(l) Compensation for carriage. (1) A satellite carrier shall not accept or request monetary payment or other valuable consideration in exchange either for carriage of local television broadcast stations in fulfillment of the mandatory carriage requirements of this section or for channel positioning rights provided to such stations under this section, except that any such station may be required to bear the costs associated with delivering a good quality signal to the receive facility of the satellite carrier.

(2) A satellite carrier may accept payments from a station pursuant to a retransmission consent agreement.

(m) Remedies. (1) Whenever a local television broadcast station believes that a satellite carrier has failed to meet its obligations under this section, such station shall notify the carrier, in writing, of the alleged failure and identify its reasons for believing that the satellite carrier failed to comply with such obligations.

(2) The satellite carrier shall, within 30 days after such written notification, respond in writing to such notification and comply with such obligations or state its reasons for believing that it is in compliance with such obligations.

(3) A local television broadcast station that disputes a response by a satellite carrier that it is in compliance with such obligations may obtain review of such denial or response by filing a complaint with the Commission, in accordance with §76.7 of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations. Such complaint shall allege the manner in which such satellite carrier has failed to meet its obligations and the basis for such allegations.

(4) The satellite carrier against which a complaint is filed is permitted to present data and arguments to establish that there has been no failure to meet its obligations under this section.

(5) The Commission shall determine whether the satellite carrier has met its obligations under this section. If the Commission determines that the satellite carrier has failed to meet such obligations, the Commission shall order the satellite carrier to take appropriate remedial action. If the Commission determines that the satellite carrier has fully met the requirements of this section, it shall dismiss the complaint.

(6) The Commission will not accept any complaint filed later than 60 days after a satellite carrier, either implicitly or explicitly, denies a television station's carriage request.

[66 FR 7430, Jan. 23, 2001, as amended at 66 FR 49135, Sept. 26, 2001; 70 FR 21670, Apr. 27, 2005; 70 FR 51668, Aug. 31, 2005; 70 FR 53079, Sept. 7, 2005]

top

(a) In any case of cable systems serving communities where no portion of the community is covered by the predicted Grade B contour of at least one full service broadcast television station, or non-commercial educational television translator station operating with 5 or more watts output power and where the signals of no such broadcast stations are “significantly viewed” in the county where such a cable system is located, the cable system shall be exempt from the provisions of §76.66. Cable systems may be eligible for this exemption where they demonstrate with engineering studies prepared in accordance with §73.686 of this chapter or other showings that broadcast signals meeting the above criteria are not actually viewable within the community.

(b) Where a new full service broadcast television station, or new non-commercial educational television translator station with 5 or more watts, or an existing such station of either type with newly upgraded facilities provides predicted Grade B service to a community served by a cable system previously exempt under paragraph (a) of this section, or the signal of any such broadcast station is newly determined to be “significantly viewed” in the county where such a cable system is located, the cable system at that time is required to comply fully with the provisions of §76.66. Cable systems may retain their exemption under paragraph (a) of this section where they demonstrate with engineering studies prepared in accordance with §73.686 of this chapter or other showings that broadcast signals meeting the above criteria are not actually viewable within the community.

[54 FR 25716, June 19, 1989]

top

Source:  50 FR 40855, Oct. 7, 1985, unless otherwise noted.

§ 76.71   Scope of application.

top

(a) The provisions of this subpart shall apply to any corporation, partnership, association, joint-stock company, or trust engaged primarily in the management or operation of any cable system. Cable entities subject to these provisions include those systems defined in §76.5(a), all satellite master antenna television systems serving 50 or more subscribers, and any multichannel video programming distributor. For purposes of the provisions of this subpart, a multichannel video programming distributor is an entity such as, but not limited to, a cable operator, a BRS/EBS provider, a direct broadcast satellite service, a television receive-only satellite program distributor, or a video dialtone program service provider, who makes available for purchase, by subscribers or customers, multiple channels of video programming, whether or not a licensee. Multichannel video programming distributors do not include any entity which lacks control over the video programming distributed. For purposes of this subpart, an entity has control over the video programming it distributes, if it selects video programming channels or programs and determines how they are presented for sale to consumers. Nothwithstanding the foregoing, the regulations in this subpart are not applicable to the owners or originators (of programs or channels of programming) that distribute six or fewer channels of commonly-owned video programming over a leased transport facility. For purposes of this subpart, programming services are “commonly-owned” if the same entity holds a majority of the stock (or is a general partner) of each program service.

(b) Employment units. The provisions of this subpart shall apply to cable entities as employment units. Each cable entity may be considered a separate employment unit; however, where two or more cable entities are under common ownership or control and are interrelated in their local management, operation, and utilization of employees, they shall constitute a single employment unit.

(c) Headquarters office. A multiple cable operator shall treat as a separate employment unit each headquarters office to the extent the work of that office is primarily related to the operation of more than one employment unit as described in paragraph (b) of this section.

[50 FR 40855, Oct. 7, 1985, as amended at 58 FR 42250, Aug. 9, 1993; 69 FR 72045, Dec. 10, 2004]

top

(a) Equal opportunity in employment shall be afforded by each cable entity to all qualified persons, and no person shall be discriminated against in employment by such entity because of race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex.

(b) Each employment unit shall establish, maintain, and carry out a positive continuing program of specific practices designed to assure equal opportunity to every aspect of cable system employment policy and practice. Under the terms of its program, an employment unit shall:

(1) Define the responsibility of each level of management to ensure a positive application and vigorous enforcement of its policy of equal opportunity, and establish a procedure to review and control managerial and supervisory performance;

(2) Inform its employees and recognized employee organizations of the positive equal employment opportunity policy and program and enlist their cooperation;

(3) Communicate its equal employment opportunity policy and progam and its employment needs to sources of qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex, and solicit their recruitment assistance on a continuing basis;

(4) Conduct a continuing program to exclude every form of prejudice or discrimination based upon race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex from its personnel policies and practices and working conditions; and

(5) Conduct a continuing review of job structure and employment practices and adopt positive recruitment, training, job design, and other measures needed to ensure genuine equality of opportunity to participate fully in all organizational units, occupations, and levels of responsibility.

top

Under the terms of its program, an employment unit must:

(a) Disseminate its equal employment opportunity program to job applicants, employees, and those with whom it regularly does business. For example, this requirement may be met by:

(1) Posting notices in the employment unit's office and places of employment informing employees, and applicants for employment, of their equal employment opportunity rights, and their right to notify the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, or other appropriate agency, if they believe they have been discriminated against. Where a significant percentage of employees, employment applicants, or residents of the community of a cable television system of the relevant labor area are Hispanic, such notices should be posted in Spanish and English. Similar use should be made of other languages in such posted equal employment opportunity notices, where appropriate;

(2) Placing a notice in bold type on the employment application informing prospective employees that discrimination because of race, color, religion, national origin, age or sex is prohibited and that they may notify the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, or other appropriate agency if they believe they have been discriminated against.

(b) Establish, maintain and carry out a positive continuing program of outreach activities designed to ensure equal opportunity and nondiscrimination in employment. The following activities shall be undertaken by each employment unit:

(1) Recruit for every full-time job vacancy in its operation. A job filled by an internal promotion is not considered a vacancy for which recruitment is necessary. Nothing in this section shall be interpreted to require a multichannel video programming distributor to grant preferential treatment to any individual or group based on race, national origin, color, religion, age, or gender.

(i) An employment unit shall use recruitment sources for each vacancy sufficient in its reasonable, good faith judgment to widely disseminate information concerning the vacancy.

(ii) In addition to using such recruitment sources, a multichannel video programming distributor employment unit shall provide notification of each full-time vacancy to any organization that distributes information about employment opportunities to job seekers or refers job seekers to employers, upon request by such organization. To be entitled to notice of vacancies, the requesting organization must provide the multichannel video programming distributor employment unit with its name, mailing address, e-mail address (if applicable), telephone number, and contact person, and identify the category or categories of vacancies of which it requests notice. (An organization may request notice of all vacancies).

(2) Engage in at least two (if the unit has more than ten full-time employees and is not located in a smaller market) or one (if the unit has six to ten full-time employees and/or is located, in whole or in part, in a smaller market) of the following initiatives during each twelve-month period preceding the filing of an EEO program annual report:

(i) Participation in at least two job fairs by unit personnel who have substantial responsibility in the making of hiring decisions;

(ii) Hosting of at least one job fair;

(iii) Co-sponsoring at least one job fair with organizations in the business and professional community whose membership includes substantial participation of women and minorities;

(iv) Participation in at least two events sponsored by organizations representing groups present in the community interested in multichannel video programming distributor employment issues, including conventions, career days, workshops, and similar activities;

(v) Establishment of an internship program designed to assist members of the community in acquiring skills needed for multichannel video programming distributor employment;

(vi) Participation in job banks, Internet programs, and other programs designed to promote outreach generally (i.e., that are not primarily directed to providing notification of specific job vacancies);

(vii) Participation in a scholarship program designed to assist students interested in pursuing a career in multichannel video programming communications;

(viii) Establishment of training programs designed to enable unit personnel to acquire skills that could qualify them for higher level positions;

(ix) Establishment of a mentoring program for unit personnel;

(x) Participation in at least two events or programs sponsored by educational institutions relating to career opportunities in multichannel video programming communications;

(xi) Sponsorship of at least one event in the community designed to inform and educate members of the public as to employment opportunities in multichannel video programming communications;

(xii) Listing of each upper-level category opening in a job bank or newsletter of media trade groups whose membership includes substantial participation of women and minorities;

(xiii) Provision of assistance to unaffiliated non-profit entities in the maintenance of web sites that provide counseling on the process of searching for multichannel video programming employment and/or other career development assistance pertinent to multichannel video programming communications;

(xiv) Provision of training to management level personnel as to methods of ensuring equal employment opportunity and preventing discrimination;

(xv) Provision of training to personnel of unaffiliated non-profit organizations interested in multichannel video programming employment opportunities that would enable them to better refer job candidates for multichannel video programming positions;

(xvi) Participation in other activities reasonably calculated by the unit to further the goal of disseminating information as to employment opportunities in multichannel video programming to job candidates who might otherwise be unaware of such opportunities.

(c) Retain records sufficient to document that it has satisfied the requirements of paragraphs (b)(1) and (b)(2) of this section. Such records, which may be maintained in an electronic format, shall be retained for a period of seven years. Such records need not be submitted to the Commission unless specifically requested. The following records shall be maintained:

(1) Listings of all full-time job vacancies filled by the cable employment unit, identified by job title;

(2) For each such vacancy, the recruitment sources utilized to fill the vacancy (including, if applicable, organizations entitled to notification pursuant to paragraph (b)(1)(ii) of this section, which should be separately identified), identified by name, address, contact person, and telephone number;

(3) Dated copies of all advertisements, bulletins, letters, faxes, e-mails, or other communications announcing job vacancies;

(4) Documentation necessary to demonstrate performance of the initiatives required by paragraph (b)(2) of this section, if applicable, including information sufficient to fully disclose the nature of the initiative and the scope of the unit's participation, including the unit personnel involved;

(5) The total number of interviewees for each vacancy and the referral sources for each interviewee; and

(6) The date each vacancy was filled and the recruitment source that referred the hiree.

(d) Undertake to offer promotions of minorities and women in a non-discriminatory fashion to positions of greater responsibility. For example, this requirement may be met by:

(1) Instructing those who make decisions on placement and promotion that minority employees and females are to be considered without discrimination, and that job areas in which there is little or no minority or female representation should be reviewed to determine whether this results from discrimination;

(2) Giving minority groups and female employees equal opportunity for positions which lead to higher positions. Inquiring as to the interest and skills of all lower paid employees with respect to any of the higher paid positions, followed by assistance, counselling, and effective measures to enable employees with interest and potential to qualify themselves for such positions;

(3) Providing opportunity to perform overtime work on a basis that does not discriminate against qualified minority group or female employees.

(e) Encourage minority and female entrepreneurs to conduct business with all parts of its operation. For example, this requirement may be met by:

(1) Recruiting as wide as possible a pool of qualified entrepreneurs from sources such as employee referrals, community groups, contractors, associations, and other sources likely to be representative of minority and female interests.

(f) A multichannel video programming distributor shall analyze its recruitment program on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is effective in achieving broad outreach, and address any problems found as a result of its analysis.

(g) Analyze on an ongoing basis its efforts to recruit, hire, promote and use services without discrimination on the basis of race, national origin, color, religion, age, or sex and explain any difficulties encountered in implementing its equal employment opportunity program. For example, this requirement may be met by:

(1) Where union agreements exist, cooperating with the union or unions in the development of programs to ensure all persons equal opportunity for employment, and including an effective nondiscrimination clause in new or renegotiated union agreements;

(2) Reviewing seniority practices to ensure that such practices are nondiscriminatory;

(3) Examining rates of pay and fringe benefits for employees having the same duties, and eliminating any inequities based upon race, national origin, color, religion, age, or sex discrimination;

(4) Evaluating the recruitment program to ensure that it is effective in achieving a broad outreach to potential applicants.

(5) Utilizing media for recruitment purposes in a manner that will contain no indication, either explicit or implicit, of a preference for one race, national origin, color, religion, age, or sex over another; and

(6) Avoiding the use of selection techniques or tests that have the effect of discriminating against qualified minority groups or women.

(h) A full-time employee is a permanent employee whose regular work schedule is 30 hours per week or more.

(i) The provisions of paragraphs (b)(1)(ii), (b)(2), (c), and (f) of this section shall not apply to multichannel video programming distributor employment units that have fewer than six full-time employees.

(j) For the purposes of this rule, a smaller market includes metropolitan areas as defined by the Office of Management and Budget with a population of fewer than 250,000 persons and areas outside of all metropolitan areas as defined by the Office of Management and Budget.

[50 FR 40855, Oct. 7, 1985, as amended at 65 FR 7457, Feb. 15, 2000; 68 FR 691, Jan. 7, 2003]

top

(a) EEO program annual reports. Information concerning a unit's compliance with the EEO recruitment requirements shall be filed by each employment unit with six or more full-time employees on FCC Form 396–C on or before September 30 of each year. If a multichannel video programming distributor acquires a unit during the twelve months covered by the EEO program annual report, the recruitment activity in the report shall cover the period starting with the date the entity acquired the unit.

(b) Certification of Compliance. The Commission will use the recruitment information submitted on a unit's EEO program annual report to determine whether the unit is in compliance with the provisions of this subpart. Units found to be in compliance with these rules will receive a Certificate of Compliance. Units found not to be in compliance will receive notice that they are not certified for a given year.

(c) Investigations. The Commission will investigate each unit at least once every five years. Employment units are required to submit supplemental investigation information with their regular EEO program annual reports in the years they are investigated. If an entity acquires a unit during the period covered by the supplemental investigation, the information submitted by the unit as part of the investigation shall cover the period starting with the date the operator acquired the unit. The supplemental investigation information shall include a copy of the unit's EEO public file report for the preceding year.

(d) Records and inquiries. Employment units subject to this subpart shall maintain records of their recruitment activity in accordance with §76.75 to demonstrate whether they are in compliance with the EEO rules. Units shall ensure that they maintain records sufficient to verify the accuracy of information provided in their EEO program annual reports and the supplemental investigation responses required by §76.1702 to be kept in a unit's public file. To determine compliance with the EEO rules, the Commission may conduct inquiries of employment units at random or if the Commission has evidence of a possible violation of the EEO rules. Upon request, employment units shall make records available to the Commission for its review.

(e) Public complaints. The public may file complaints based on EEO program annual reports, supplemental investigation information, or the contents of a unit's public file.

(f) Sanctions and remedies. The Commission may issue appropriate sanctions and remedies for any violation of the EEO rules.

[68 FR 692, Jan. 7, 2003]

top

A copy of every annual employment report, and any other employment report filed with the Commission, and complaint report that has been filed with the Commission, and copies of all exhibits, letters, and other documents filed as part thereof, all amendments thereto, all correspondence between the cable entity and the Commission pertaining to the reports after they have been filed in all documents incorporated therein by reference, unless specifically exempted from the requirement, are open for public inspection at the offices of the Commission in Washington, DC.

Note to §76.59: Cable operators must also comply with the public file requirements §76.1702.

[65 FR 7459, Feb. 15, 2000]

top

Source:  65 FR 68101, Nov. 14, 2000, unless otherwise noted.

§ 76.92   Cable network non-duplication; extent of protection.

top

(a) Upon receiving notification pursuant to §76.94, a cable community unit located in whole or in part within the geographic zone for a network program, the network non-duplication rights to which are held by a commercial television station licensed by the Commission, shall not carry that program as broadcast by any other television signal, except as otherwise provided below.

(b) For purposes of this section, the order of nonduplication priority of television signals carried by a community unit is as follows:

(1) First, all television broadcast stations within whose specified zone the community of the community unit is located, in whole or in part;

(2) Second, all smaller market television broadcast stations within whose secondary zone the community of the community unit is located, in whole or in part.

(c) For purposes of this section, all noncommercial educational television broadcast stations licensed to a community located in whole or in part within a major television market as specified in §76.51 shall be treated in the same manner as a major market commercial television broadcast station, and all noncommercial educational television broadcast stations not licensed to a community located in whole or in part within a major television market shall be treated in the same manner as a smaller market television broadcast station.

(d) Any community unit operating in a community to which a 100-watt or higher power translator is located within the predicted Grade B signal contour of the television broadcast station that the translator station retransmits, and which translator is carried by the community unit shall, upon request of such translator station licensee or permittee, delete the duplicating network programming of any television broadcast station whose reference point (See §76.53) is more than 88.5 km (55 miles) from the community of the community unit.

(e) Any community unit which operates in a community located in whole or in part within the secondary zone of a smaller market television broadcast station is not required to delete the duplicating network programming of any major market television broadcast station whose reference point (See §76.53) is also within 88.5 km (55 miles) of the community of the community unit.

(f) A community unit is not required to delete the duplicating network programming of any television broadcast station which is significantly viewed in the cable television community pursuant to §76.54.

(g) A community unit is not required to delete the duplicating network programming of any qualified NCE television broadcast station that is carried in fulfillment of the cable television system's mandatory signal carriage obligations, pursuant to §76.56.

Note: With respect to network programming, the geographic zone within which the television station is entitled to enforce network non-duplication protection and priority of shall be that geographic area agreed upon between the network and the television station. In no event shall such rights exceed the area within which the television station may acquire broadcast territorial exclusivity rights as defined in §73.658(m) of this Chapter, except that small market television stations shall be entitled to a secondary protection zone of 32.2 additional kilometers (20 additional miles). To the extent rights are obtained for any hyphenated market named in §76.51, such rights shall not exceed those permitted under §73.658(m) of this Chapter for each named community in that market.

top

Television broadcast station licensees shall be entitled to exercise non-duplication rights pursuant to §76.92 in accordance with the contractual provisions of the network-affiliate agreement.

top

(a) In order to exercise non-duplication rights pursuant to §76.92, television stations shall notify each cable television system operator of the non-duplication sought in accordance with the requirements of this section. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, non-duplication protection notices shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting non-duplication protection and the television broadcast station holding the non-duplication right;

(2) The name of the program or series (including specific episodes where necessary) for which protection is sought; and

(3) The dates on which protection is to begin and end.

(b) Broadcasters entering into contracts providing for network non-duplication protection shall notify affected cable systems within 60 calendar days of the signing of such a contract. In the event the broadcaster is unable based on the information contained in the contract, to furnish all the information required by paragraph (a) of this section at that time, the broadcaster must provide modified notices that contain the following information:

(1) The name of the network (or networks) which has (or have) extended non-duplication protection to the broadcaster;

(2) The time periods by time of day (local time) and by network (if more than one) for each day of the week that the broadcaster will be broadcasting programs from that network (or networks) and for which non-duplication protection is requested; and

(3) The duration and extent (e.g., simultaneous, same-day, seven-day, etc.) of the non-duplication protection which has been agreed upon by the network (or networks) and the broadcaster.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this section, a broadcaster shall be entitled to non-duplication protection beginning on the later of:

(1) The date specified in its notice (as described in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section, whichever is applicable) to the cable television system; or

(2) The first day of the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) that begins 60 days after the cable television system receives notice from the broadcaster.

(d) A broadcaster shall provide the following information to the cable television system under the following circumstances:

(1) In the event the protection specified in the notices described in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section has been limited or ended prior to the time specified in the notice, or in the event a time period, as identified to the cable system in a notice pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, for which a broadcaster has obtained protection is shifted to another time of day or another day (but not expanded), the broadcaster shall, as soon as possible, inform each cable television system operator that has previously received the notice of all changes from the original notice. Notice to be furnished “as soon as possible” under this paragraph shall be furnished by telephone, telegraph, facsimile, overnight mail or other similar expedient means.

(2) In the event the protection specified in the modified notices described in paragraph (b) of this section has been expanded, the broadcaster shall, at least 60 calendar days prior to broadcast of a protected program entitled to such expanded protection, notify each cable system operator that has previously received notice of all changes from the original notice.

(e) In determining which programs must be deleted from a television signal, a cable television system operator may rely on information from any of the following sources published or otherwise made available:

(1) Newspapers or magazines of general circulation.

(2) A television station whose programs may be subject to deletion. If a cable television system asks a television station for information about its program schedule, the television station shall answer the request:

(i) Within ten business days following the television station's receipt of the request; or

(ii) Sixty days before the program or programs mentioned in the request for information will be broadcast; whichever comes later.

(3) The broadcaster requesting exclusivity.

(f) A broadcaster exercising exclusivity pursuant to §76.92 shall provide to the cable system, upon request, an exact copy of those portions of the contracts, such portions to be signed by both the network and the broadcaster, setting forth in full the provisions pertinent to the duration, nature, and extent of the non-duplication terms concerning broadcast signal exhibition to which the parties have agreed.

top

(a) The provisions of §§76.92 through 76.94 shall not apply to a cable system serving fewer than 1,000 subscribers. Within 60 days following the provision of service to 1,000 subscribers, the operator of each such system shall file a notice to that effect with the Commission, and serve a copy of that notice on every television station that would be entitled to exercise network non-duplication protection against it.

(b) Network non-duplication protection need not be extended to a higher priority station for one hour following the scheduled time of completion of the broadcast of a live sports event by that station or by a lower priority station against which a cable community unit would otherwise be required to provide non-duplication protection following the scheduled time of completion.

top

Upon receiving notification pursuant to §76.105, a cable community unit located in whole or in part within the geographic zone for a syndicated program, the syndicated exclusivity rights to which are held by a commercial television station licensed by the Commission, shall not carry that program as broadcast by any other television signal, except as otherwise provided below.

Note: With respect to each syndicated program, the geographic zone within which the television station is entitled to enforce syndicated exclusivity rights shall be that geographic area agreed upon between the non-network program supplier, producer or distributor and the television station. In no event shall such zone exceed the area within which the television station has acquired broadcast territorial exclusivity rights as defined in §73.658(m) of this Chapter. To the extent rights are obtained for any hyphenated market named in §76.51, such rights shall not exceed those permitted under §73.658(m) of this Chapter for each named community in that market.

top

(a) Television broadcast station licensees shall be entitled to exercise exclusivity rights pursuant to §76.101 in accordance with the contractual provisions of their syndicated program license agreements, consistent with §76.109.

(b) Distributors of syndicated programming shall be entitled to exercise exclusive rights pursuant to §76.101 for a period of one year from the initial broadcast syndication licensing of such programming anywhere in the United States; provided, however, that distributors shall not be entitled to exercise such rights in areas in which the programming has already been licensed.

top

(a) In order to exercise exclusivity rights pursuant to §76.101, distributors or television stations shall notify each cable television system operator of the exclusivity sought in accordance with the requirements of this section. Syndicated program exclusivity notices shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting exclusivity and the television broadcast station or other party holding the exclusive right;

(2) The name of the program or series (including specific episodes where necessary) for which exclusivity is sought;

(3) The dates on which exclusivity is to begin and end.

(b) Broadcasters entering into contracts on or after August 18, 1988, which contain syndicated exclusivity protection shall notify affected cable systems within sixty calendar days of the signing of such a contract. Broadcasters who have entered into contracts prior to August 18, 1988, and who comply with the requirements specified in §76.109 shall notify affected cable systems on or before June 19, 1989. A broadcaster shall be entitled to exclusivity protection beginning on the later of:

(1) The date specified in its notice to the cable television system; or

(2) The first day of the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) that begins 60 days after the cable television system receives notice from the broadcaster;

(c) In determining which programs must be deleted from a television broadcast signal, a cable television system operator may rely on information from any of the following sources published or otherwise made available.

(1) Newspapers or magazines of general circulation;

(2) A television station whose programs may be subject to deletion. If a cable television system asks a television station for information about its program schedule, the television station shall answer the request:

(i) Within ten business days following the television station's receipt of the request; or

(ii) Sixty days before the program or programs mentioned in the request for information will be broadcast; whichever comes later.

(3) The distributor or television station requesting exclusivity.

(d) In the event the exclusivity specified in paragraph (a) of this section has been limited or has ended prior to the time specified in the notice, the distributor or broadcaster who has supplied the original notice shall, as soon as possible, inform each cable television system operator that has previously received the notice of all changes from the original notice. In the event the original notice specified contingent dates on which exclusivity is to begin and/or end, the distributor or broadcaster shall, as soon as possible, notify the cable television system operator of the occurrence of the relevant contingency. Notice to be furnished “as soon as possible” under this paragraph shall be furnished by telephone, telegraph, facsimile, overnight mail or other similar expedient means.

top

(a) Notwithstanding the requirements of §§76.101 through 76.105, a broadcast signal is not required to be deleted from a cable community unit when that cable community unit falls, in whole or in part, within that signal's grade B contour, or when the signal is significantly viewed pursuant to §76.54 in the cable community.

(b) The provisions of §§76.101 through 76.105 shall not apply to a cable system serving fewer than 1,000 subscribers. Within 60 days following the provision of service to 1,000 subscribers, the operator of each such system shall file a notice to that effect with the Commission, and serve a copy of that notice on every television station that would be entitled to exercise syndicated exclusivity protection against it.

top

A distributor or television station exercising exclusivity pursuant to §76.101 shall provide to the cable system, upon request, an exact copy of those portions of the exclusivity contracts, such portions to be signed by both the distributor and the television station, setting forth in full the provisions pertinent to the duration, nature, and extent of the exclusivity terms concerning broadcast signal exhibition to which the parties have agreed.

top

No licensee shall enter into any contract to indemnify a cable system for liability resulting from failure to delete programming in accordance with the provisions of this subpart unless the licensee has a reasonable basis for concluding that such program deletion is not required by this subpart.

top

For a station licensee to be eligible to invoke the provisions of §76.101, it must have a contract or other written indicia that it holds syndicated exclusivity rights for the exhibition of the program in question. Contracts entered on or after August 18, 1988, must contain the following words: “the licensee [or substitute name] shall, by the terms of this contract, be entitled to invoke the protection against duplication of programming imported under the Compulsory Copyright License, as provided in §76.101 of the FCC rules [or ‘as provided in the FCC's syndicated exclusivity rules’].” Contracts entered into prior to August 18, 1988, must contain either the foregoing language or a clear and specific reference to the licensee's authority to exercise exclusivity rights as to the specific programming against cable television broadcast signal carriage by the cable system in question upon the contingency that the government reimposed syndicated exclusivity protection. In the absence of such a specific reference in contracts entered into prior to August 18, 1988, the provisions of these rules may be invoked only if the contract is amended to include the specific language referenced in this section or a specific written acknowledgment is obtained from the party from whom the broadcast exhibition rights were obtained that the existing contract was intended, or should now be construed by agreement of the parties, to include such rights. A general acknowledgment by a supplier of exhibition rights that specific contract language was intended to convey rights under these rules will be accepted with respect to all contracts containing that specific language. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a grant of exclusive rights to a broadcaster where such rights are not agreed to by the parties.

top

Whenever, pursuant to the requirements of the syndicated exclusivity rules, a community unit is required to delete a television program on a broadcast signal that is permitted to be carried under the Commission's rules, such community unit may, consistent with these rules and the sports blackout rules at §76.111, substitute a program from any other television broadcast station. Programs substituted pursuant to this section may be carried to their completion.

top

(a) No community unit located in whole or in part within the specified zone of a television broadcast station licensed to a community in which a sports event is taking place, shall, on request of the holder of the broadcast rights to that event, or its agent, carry the live television broadcast of that event if the event is not available live on a television broadcast station meeting the criteria specified in §76.128. For purposes of this section, if there is no television station licensed to the community in which the sports event is taking place, the applicable specified zone shall be that of the television station licensed to the community with which the sports event or team is identified, or, if the event or local team is not identified with any particular community, the nearest community to which a television station is licensed.

(b) Notification of the programming to be deleted pursuant to this section shall include the following information:

(1) As to programming to be deleted from television broadcast signals regularly carried by the community unit:

(i) The name and address of the party requesting the program deletion;

(ii) The date, time and expected duration of the sports event the television broadcast of which is to be deleted;

(iii) The call letters of the television broadcast station(s) from which the deletion is to be made.

(2) As to programming to be deleted from television broadcast signals not regularly carried by the community unit:

(i) The name and address of the party requesting the program deletion;

(ii) The date, time and expected duration of the sports event the television broadcast of which is to be deleted.

(c) Notifications given pursuant to this section must be received, as to regularly scheduled events, no later than the Monday preceding the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) during which the program deletion is to be made. Notifications as to events not regularly scheduled and revisions of notices previously submitted, must be received within twenty-four (24) hours after the time of the telecast to be deleted is known, but in any event no later than twenty-four (24) hours from the time the subject telecast is to take place.

(d) Whenever, pursuant to this section, a community unit is required to delete a television program on a signal regularly carried by the community unit, such community unit may, consistent with the rules contained in subpart F of this part, substitute a program from any other television broadcast station. A program substituted may be carried to its completion, and the community unit need not return to its regularly carried signal until it can do so without interrupting a program already in progress.

(e) The provisions of this section shall not be deemed to require the deletion of any portion of a television signal which a community unit was lawfully carrying prior to March 31, 1972.

(f) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any community unit having fewer than 1,000 subscribers.

top

For purposes of §§76.122–76.130, the following definitions apply:

(a) Satellite carrier. The term “satellite carrier” means an entity that uses the facilities of a satellite or satellite service licensed by the Federal Communications Commission and operates in the Fixed-Satellite Service under part 25 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations or the Direct Broadcast Satellite Service under part 100 of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations, to establish and operate a channel of communications for point-to-multipoint distribution of television station signals, and that owns or leases a capacity or service on a satellite in order to provide such point-to-multipoint distribution, except to the extent that such entity provides such distribution pursuant to tariff under the Communications Act of 1934, other than for private home viewing.

(b) Nationally distributed superstation. The term “nationally distributed superstation” means a television broadcast station, licensed by the Commission, that—

(1) Is not owned or operated by or affiliated with a television network that, as of January 1, 1995, offered interconnected program service on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 affiliated television licensees in 10 or more States;

(2) On May 1, 1991, was retransmitted by a satellite carrier and was not a network station at that time; and

(3) Was, as of July 1, 1998, retransmitted by a satellite carrier under the statutory license of Section 119 of title 17, United States Code.

(c) Television network. The term “television network” means a television network in the United States which offers an interconnected program service on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 affiliated broadcast stations in 10 or more States.

(d) Network station. The term “network station” means—

(1) A television broadcast station, including any translator station or terrestrial satellite station that rebroadcasts all or substantially all of the programming broadcast by a network station, that is owned or operated by, or affiliated with, one or more of the television networks in the United States which offer an interconnected program service on a regular basis for 15 or more hours per week to at least 25 of its affiliated television licensees in 10 or more States; or

(2) A noncommercial educational broadcast station (as defined in Section 397 of the Communications Act of 1934); except that the term does not include the signal of the Alaska Rural Communications Service, or any successor entity to that service.

(e) Zone of protection. The term “zone of protection” means—

(1) With respect to network non-duplication, the zone of protection within which the television station is entitled to enforce network non-duplication protection shall be that geographic area agreed upon between the network and the television station. In no event shall such rights exceed the area within which the television station may acquire broadcast territorial exclusivity rights as defined in §73.658(m) of this Chapter, except that small market television stations shall be entitled to a secondary protection zone of 32.2 additional kilometers (20 additional miles). To the extent rights are obtained for any hyphenated market named in §76.51, such rights shall not exceed those permitted under §73.658(m) of this Chapter for each named community in that market.

(2) With respect to each syndicated program, the zone of protection within which the television station is entitled to enforce syndicated exclusivity rights shall be that geographic area agreed upon between the non-network program supplier, producer or distributor and the television station. In no event shall such zone exceed the area within which the television station has acquired broadcast territorial exclusivity rights as defined in §73.658(m) of this Chapter. To the extent rights are obtained for any hyphenated market named in §76.51, such rights shall not exceed those permitted under §73.658(m) of this chapter for each named community in that market.

(3) With respect to sports blackout, the zone of protection is the “specified zone” of a television broadcast station, as defined in §76.5(e). If there is no television station licensed to the community in which the sports event is taking place, the applicable specified zone shall be that of the television station licensed to the community with which the sports event or team is identified, or, if the event or local team is not identified with any particular community, the nearest community to which a television station is licensed.

top

(a) Upon receiving notification pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, a satellite carrier shall not deliver, to subscribers within zip code areas located in whole or in part within the zone of protection of a commercial television station licensed by the Commission, a program carried on a nationally distributed superstation or on a station carried pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter when the network non-duplication rights to such program are held by the commercial television station providing notice, except as provided in paragraphs (j), (k) or (l) of this section.

(b) Television broadcast station licensees shall be entitled to exercise non-duplication rights pursuant to §76.122 in accordance with the contractual provisions of the network-affiliate agreement, and as provided in §76.124.

(c) In order to exercise non-duplication rights pursuant to §76.122, television stations shall notify each satellite carrier of the non-duplication sought in accordance with the requirements of this section. Non-duplication protection notices shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting non-duplication protection and the television broadcast station holding the non-duplication right;

(2) Where the agreement between network and affiliate so identifies, the name of the program or series (including specific episodes where necessary) for which protection is sought;

(3) The dates on which protection is to begin and end;

(4) The name of the network (or networks) which has (or have) extended non-duplication protection to the broadcaster;

(5) The time periods by time of day (local time) and by network (if more than one) for each day of the week that the broadcaster will be broadcasting programs from that network (or networks) and for which non-duplication protection is requested;

(6) The duration and extent (e.g., simultaneous, same-day, seven-day, etc.) of the non-duplication protection which has been agreed upon by the network (or networks) and the broadcaster; and

(7) A list of the U.S. postal zip code(s) that encompass the zone of protection under these rules.

(d) Broadcasters entering into contracts providing for network non-duplication protection shall notify affected satellite carriers within 60 calendar days of the signing of such a contract; provided, however, that for such contracts signed before November 29, 2000, the broadcaster may provide notice on or before January 31, 2001, or with respect to pre-November 29, 2000 contracts that require amendment in order to invoke the provisions of these rules, notification may be given within sixty calendar days of the signing of such amendment.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a broadcaster shall be entitled to non-duplication protection beginning on the later of:

(1) The date specified in its notice to the satellite carrier; or

(2) The first day of the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) that begins 60 days after the satellite carrier receives notice from the broadcaster; Provided, however, that with respect to notifications given pursuant to this section prior to June 1, 2001, a satellite carrier is not required to provide non-duplication protection until 120 days after the satellite carrier receives such notification.

(f) A broadcaster shall provide the following information to the satellite carrier under the following circumstances:

(1) In the event the protection specified in the notices described in paragraph (c) of this section has been limited or ended prior to the time specified in the notice, or in the event a time period, as identified to the satellite carrier in a notice pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section, for which a broadcaster has obtained protection is shifted to another time of day or another day (but not expanded), the broadcaster shall, as soon as possible, inform each satellite carrier that has previously received the notice of all changes from the original notice. Notice to be furnished “as soon as possible” under this paragraph shall be furnished by telephone, telegraph, facsimile, e-mail, overnight mail or other similar expedient means.

(2) In the event the protection specified in the notices described in paragraph (c) of this section has been expanded, the broadcaster shall, at least 60 calendar days prior to broadcast of a protected program entitled to such expanded protection, notify each satellite carrier that has previously received notice of all changes from the original notice.

(g) In determining which programs must be deleted from a television signal, a satellite carrier may rely on information from newspapers or magazines of general circulation, the broadcaster requesting exclusivity protection, or the nationally distributed superstation.

(h) If a satellite carrier asks a nationally distributed superstation for information about its program schedule, the nationally distributed superstation shall answer the request:

(i) Within ten business days following its receipt of the request; or

(ii) Sixty days before the program or programs mentioned in the request for information will be broadcast, whichever comes later.

(i) A broadcaster exercising exclusivity pursuant to this section shall provide to the satellite carrier, upon request, an exact copy of those portions of the contracts, such portions to be signed by both the network and the broadcaster, setting forth in full the provisions pertinent to the duration, nature, and extent of the non-duplication terms concerning broadcast signal exhibition to which the parties have agreed.

(j) A satellite carrier is not required to delete the duplicating programming of any nationally distributed superstation that is carried by the satellite carrier as a local station pursuant to §76.66 of this chapter or as a significantly viewed station pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter

(1) Within the station's local market;

(2) If the station is “significantly viewed,” pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter, in zip code areas included within the zone of protection unless a waiver of the significantly viewed exception is granted pursuant to §76.7 of this chapter; or

(3) If the zone of protection falls, in whole or in part, within that signal's grade B contour or noise limited service contour.

(k) A satellite carrier is not required to delete the duplicating programming of any nationally distributed superstation from an individual subscriber who is located outside the zone of protection, notwithstanding that the subscriber lives within a zip code provided by the broadcaster pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.

(l) A satellite carrier is not required to delete programming if it has fewer than 1,000 subscribers within the relevant protected zone who subscribe to the nationally distributed superstation carrying the programming for which deletion is requested pursuant to paragraph (c) of this section.

[65 FR 68101, Nov. 14, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 68951, Nov. 14, 2002; 70 FR 76530, Dec. 27, 2005]

top

(a) Upon receiving notification pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section, a satellite carrier shall not deliver, to subscribers located within zip code areas in whole or in part within the zone of protection of a commercial television station licensed by the Commission, a program carried on a nationally distributed superstation or on a station carried pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter when the syndicated program exclusivity rights to such program are held by the commercial television station providing notice, except as provided in paragraphs (k), (l) and (m) of this section.

(b) Television broadcast station licensees shall be entitled to exercise exclusivity rights pursuant to this Section in accordance with the contractual provisions of their syndicated program license agreements, consistent with §76.124.

(c) Distributors of syndicated programming shall be entitled to exercise exclusive rights pursuant to this Section for a period of one year from the initial broadcast syndication licensing of such programming anywhere in the United States; provided, however, that distributors shall not be entitled to exercise such rights in areas in which the programming has already been licensed.

(d) In order to exercise exclusivity rights pursuant to this Section, distributors of syndicated programming or television broadcast stations shall notify each satellite carrier of the exclusivity sought in accordance with the requirements of this paragraph. Syndicated program exclusivity notices shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting exclusivity and the television broadcast station or other party holding the exclusive right;

(2)The name of the program or series (including specific episodes where necessary) for which exclusivity is sought;

(3)The dates on which exclusivity is to begin and end; and

(4) A list of the U.S. postal zip code(s) that encompass the zone of protection under these rules.

(e) A distributor or television station exercising exclusivity pursuant to this Section shall provide to the satellite carrier, upon request, an exact copy of those portions of the exclusivity contracts, such portions to be signed by both the distributor and the television station, setting forth in full the provisions pertinent to the duration, nature, and extent of the exclusivity terms concerning broadcast signal exhibition to which the parties have agreed.

(f) Television broadcast stations or distributors entering into contracts on or after November 29, 2000, which contain syndicated exclusivity protection with respect to satellite retransmission of programming, shall notify affected satellite carriers within sixty calendar days of the signing of such a contract. Television broadcast stations or distributors who have entered into contracts prior to November 29, 2000, and who comply with the requirements specified in §76.124 shall notify affected satellite carriers on or before January 31, 2001; provided, however, that with respect to pre-November 29, 2000 contracts that require amendment in order to invoke the provisions of these rules, notification may be given within sixty calendar days of the signing of such amendment.

(g) Except as otherwise provided in this section, a television broadcast station shall be entitled to exclusivity protection beginning on the later of:

(1) The date specified in its notice to the satellite carrier; or

(2) The first day of the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) that begins 60 days after the satellite carrier receives notice from the broadcaster.

Provided, however, that with respect to notifications given pursuant to this section prior to June 1, 2001, a satellite carrier is not required to provide syndicated exclusivity protection until 120 days after the satellite carrier receives such notification.

(h) In determining which programs must be deleted from a television broadcast signal, a satellite carrier may rely on information from the distributor or television broadcast station requesting exclusivity; newspapers or magazines of general circulation; or the nationally distributed superstation whose programs may be subject to deletion.

(i) If a satellite carrier asks a nationally distributed superstation for information about its program schedule, the nationally distributed superstation shall answer the request:

(1) Within ten business days following the its receipt of the request; or

(2) Sixty days before the program or programs mentioned in the request for information will be broadcast; whichever comes later.

(j) In the event the exclusivity specified in paragraph (a) of this section has been limited or has ended prior to the time specified in the notice, the distributor or broadcaster who has supplied the original notice shall, as soon as possible, inform each satellite carrier that has previously received the notice of all changes from the original notice. In the event the original notice specified contingent dates on which exclusivity is to begin and/or end, the distributor or broadcaster shall, as soon as possible, notify the satellite carrier of the occurrence of the relevant contingency. Notice to be furnished “as soon as possible” under this Subsection shall be furnished by telephone, telegraph, facsimile, e-mail, overnight mail or other similar expedient means.

(k) A satellite carrier is not required to delete the programming of any nationally distributed superstation that is carried by the satellite carrier as a local station pursuant to §76.66 of this chapter or as a significantly viewed station pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter:

(1) Within the station's local market;

(2) If the station is “significantly viewed,” pursuant to §76.54 of this chapter, in zip code areas included within the zone of protection unless a waiver of the significantly viewed exception is granted pursuant to §76.7 of this chapter; or

(3) If the zone of protection falls, in whole or in part, within that signal's grade B contour or noise limited service contour.

(l) A satellite carrier is not required to delete the duplicating programming of any nationally distributed superstation from an individual subscriber who is located outside the zone of protection, notwithstanding that the subscriber lives within a zip code provided by the broadcaster pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.

(m) A satellite carrier is not required to delete programming if it has fewer than 1,000 subscribers within the relevant protected zone who subscribe to the nationally distributed superstation carrying the programming for which deletion is requested pursuant to paragraph (d) of this section.

[65 FR 68101, Nov. 14, 2000, as amended at 70 FR 76530, Dec. 27, 2005]

top

For a television broadcast station licensee or distributor of syndicated programming to be eligible to invoke the provisions of §76.122 or §76.123 of this subpart, it must have a contract or other written indicia that it holds network program non-duplication or syndicated exclusivity rights for the exhibition of the program in question. Contracts entered on or after November 29, 2000, must contain the following words: “the licensee [or substitute name] shall, by the terms of this contract, be entitled to invoke the protection against duplication of programming imported under the Statutory Copyright License, as provided in §76.122 or §76.123 of the FCC rules [or 'as provided in the FCC's satellite network non-duplication or syndicated exclusivity rules'].” Contracts entered into prior to November 29, 2000, must contain the foregoing language plus a clear and specific reference to the licensee's authority to exercise exclusivity rights as to the specific programming against signal carriage by the satellite carrier in question, or by satellite carriage in general in a protected, geographic or specified zone. In the absence of such a specific reference in contracts entered into prior to November 29, 2000, the provisions of these rules may be invoked only if the contract is amended to include the specific language referenced in this section or a specific written acknowledgment is obtained from the party from whom the broadcast exhibition rights were obtained that the existing contract was intended, or should now be construed by agreement of the parties, to include such rights. A general acknowledgment by a supplier of exhibition rights that specific contract language was intended to convey rights under these rules will be accepted with respect to all contracts containing that specific language. Nothing in this section shall be construed as a grant of exclusive rights to a broadcaster where such rights are not agreed to by the parties.

top

No television broadcast station licensee shall enter into any contract to indemnify a satellite carrier for liability resulting from failure to delete programming in accordance with the provisions of this Subpart unless the licensee has a reasonable basis for concluding that such program deletion is not required by this Subpart.

top

(a) Upon the request of the holder of the broadcast rights to a sports event, or its agent, no satellite carrier shall retransmit to subscribers within the area comprising the specified zone a “nationally distributed superstation” or “network station” carrying the live television broadcast of a sports event if the event is not available live on a television broadcast station meeting the criteria specified in §76.128. For purposes of this section, if there is no television station licensed to the community in which the sports event is taking place, the applicable specified zone shall be that of the television station licensed to the community with which the sports event or team is identified, or, if the event or local team is not identified with any particular community, the nearest community to which a television station is licensed.

(b) Notification of the programming to be deleted pursuant to this Section shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting the program deletion;

(2) The date, time and expected duration of the sports event the television broadcast of which is to be deleted;

(3) The call letters of the nationally distributed superstation or network station(s) from which the deletion is to be made;

(4) The U.S. postal zip codes that encompass the specified zone.

(c) Notifications given pursuant to this section must be received by the satellite carrier:

(1) With respect to regularly scheduled events, within forty-eight (48) hours after the time of the telecast to be deleted is known; or, for events that comprise a season or pre-season period, fifteen (15) days prior to the first event of the season or pre-season, respectively; and no later than the Monday preceding the calendar week (Sunday-Saturday) during which the program deletion is to be made.

(2) As to events not regularly scheduled and revisions of notices previously submitted, within twenty-four (24) hours after the time of the telecast to be deleted is known, but in any event no later than twenty-four (24) hours from the time the subject telecast is to take place.

(d) A satellite carrier is not required to delete a sports event from an individual subscriber who is located outside the specified zone, notwithstanding that the subscriber lives within a zip code provided by the holder of the broadcast rights pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section.

(e) A satellite carrier is not required to delete a sports event if it has fewer than 1,000 subscribers within the relevant specified zone who subscribe to the nationally distributed superstation or network station carrying the sports event for which deletion is requested pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section.

(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this section, for sports events to be deleted on or before March 31, 2001, notification must be received by satellite carriers at least 60 full days prior to the day the telecast is to be deleted.

[65 FR 68101, Nov. 14, 2000, as amended at 68 FR 14341, Mar. 25, 2003]

top

The cable and satellite sports blackout rules (§§76.111 and 76.127) may apply when the sports event is not available live on any of the following television broadcast stations carried by a cable system or other MVPD:

(a) Television broadcast stations within whose specified zone the community of the community unit or the community within which the sporting event is taking place is located, in whole or in part;

(b) For communities in television markets other than major markets as defined in §76.51, television broadcast stations within whose Grade B contours the community of the community unit or the community within which the sporting event is taking place is located, in whole or in part;

(c) Television broadcast stations licensed to other designated communities which are generally considered to be part of the same television market (Example: Burlington, Vt.-Plattsburgh, N.Y. or Cincinnati, Ohio-Newport, Ky., television markets);

(d) Television broadcast stations that are significantly viewed, pursuant to §76.54, in the community unit or community within the specified zone.

[65 FR 68101, Nov. 14, 2000, as amended at 67 FR 68951, Nov. 14, 2002]

top

Whenever, pursuant to the requirements of the network program non-duplication, syndicated program exclusivity, or sports blackout rules, a satellite carrier is required to delete a television program from retransmission to satellite subscribers within a zip code area, such satellite carrier may, consistent with this Subpart, substitute a program from any other television broadcast station for which the satellite carrier has obtained the necessary legal rights and permissions, including but not limited to copyright and retransmission consent. Programs substituted pursuant to this section may be carried to their completion.

top

top

(a) General requirements. No cable television system is required to permit the use of its facilities by any legally qualified candidate for public office, but if any system shall permit any such candidate to use its facilities, it shall afford equal opportunities to all other candidates for that office to use such facilities. Such system shall have no power of censorship over the material broadcast by any such candidate. Appearance by a legally qualified candidate on any:

(1) Bona fide newscast;

(2) Bona fide news interview;

(3) Bona fide news documentary (if the appearance of the candidate is incidental to the presentation of the subject or subjects covered by the news documentary); or

(4) On-the-spot coverage of bona fide news events (including, but not limited to political conventions and activities incidental thereto) shall not be deemed to be use of a system. (section 315(a) of the Communications Act.)

(b) Uses. As used in this section and §76.206, the term “use” means a candidate appearance (including by voice or picture) that is not exempt under paragraphs 76.205 (a)(1) through (a)(4) of this section.

(c) Timing of request. A request for equal opportunities must be submitted to the system within 1 week of the day on which the first prior use giving rise to the right of equal opportunities occurred: Provided, however, That where the person was not a candidate at the time of such first prior use, he or she shall submit his or her request within 1 week of the first subsequent use after he or she has become a legally qualified candidate for the office in question.

(d) Burden of proof. A candidate requesting equal opportunities of the system or complaining of noncompliance to the Commission shall have the burden of proving that he or she and his or her opponent are legally qualified candidates for the same public office.

(e) Discrimination between candidates. In making time available to candidates for public office, no system shall make any discrimination between candidates in practices, regulations, facilities, or services for or in connection with the service rendered pursuant to this part, or make or give any preference to any candidate for public office or subject any such candidate to any prejudice or disadvantage; nor shall any system make any contract or other agreement which shall have the effect of permitting any legally qualified candidate for any public office to cablecast to the exclusion of other legally qualified candidates for the same public office.

[57 FR 210, Jan. 3, 1992, as amended at 59 FR 14568, Mar. 29, 1994]

top

(a) Charges for use of cable television systems. The charges, if any, made for the use of any system by any person who is a legally qualified candidate for any public office in connection with his or her campaign for nomination for election, or election, to such office shall not exceed:

(1) During the 45 days preceding the date of a primary or primary runoff election and during the 60 days preceding the date of a general or special election in which such person is a candidate, the lowest unit charge of the system for the same class and amount of time for the same period.

(i) A candidate shall be charged no more per unit than the system charges its most favored commercial advertisers for the same classes and amounts of time for the same periods. Any system practices offered to commercial advertisers that enhance the value of advertising spots must be disclosed and made available to candidates upon equal terms. Such practices include but are not limited to any discount privileges that affect the value of advertising, such as bonus spots, time-sensitive make goods, preemption priorities, or any other factors that enhance the value of the announcement.

(ii) The Commission recognizes non-preemptible, preemptible with notice, immediately preemptible and run-of-schedule as distinct classes of time.

(iii) Systems may establish and define their own reasonable classes of immediately preemptible time so long as the differences between such classes are based on one or more demonstrable benefits associated with each class and are not based solely upon price or identity of the advertiser. Such demonstrable benefits include, but are not limited to, varying levels of preemption protection, scheduling flexibility, or associated privileges, such as guaranteed time-sensitive make goods. Systems may not use class distinctions to defeat the purpose of the lowest unit charge requirement. All classes must be fully disclosed and made available to candidates.

(iv) Systems may establish reasonable classes of preemptible with notice time so long as they clearly define all such classes, fully disclose them and make them available to candidates.

(v) Systems may treat non-preemptible and fixed position as distinct classes of time provided that systems articulate clearly the differences between such classes, fully disclose them, and make them available to candidates.

(vi) Systems shall not establish a separate, premium-priced class of time sold only to candidates. Systems may sell higher-priced non-preemptible or fixed time to candidates if such a class of time is made available on a bona fide basis to both candidates and commercial advertisers, and provided such class is not functionally equivalent to any lower-priced class of time sold to commercial advertisers.

(vii) [Reserved]

(viii) Lowest unit charge may be calculated on a weekly basis with respect to time that is sold on a weekly basis, such as rotations through particular programs or dayparts. Systems electing to calculate the lowest unit charge by such a method must include in that calculation all rates for all announcements scheduled in the rotation, including announcements aired under long-term advertising contracts. Systems may implement rate increases during election periods only to the extent that such increases constitute “ordinary business practices,” such as seasonal program changes or changes in audience ratings.

(ix) Systems shall review their advertising records periodically throughout the election period to determine whether compliance with this section requires that candidates receive rebates or credits. Where necessary, systems shall issue such rebates or credits promptly.

(x) Unit rates charged as part of any package, whether individually negotiated or generally available to all advertisers, must be included in the lowest unit charge calculation for the same class and length of time in the same time period. A candidate cannot be required to purchase advertising in every program or daypart in a package as a condition for obtaining package unit rates.

(xi) Systems are not required to include non-cash promotional merchandising incentives in lowest unit charge calculations; provided, however, that all such incentives must be offered to candidates as part of any purchases permitted by the system. Bonus spots, however, must be included in the calculation of the lowest unit charge calculation.

(xii) Make goods, defined as the rescheduling of preempted advertising, shall be provided to candidates prior to election day if a system has provided a time-sensitive make good during the year preceding the pre-election periods, respectively set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, to any commercial advertiser who purchased time in the same class.

(xiii) Systems must disclose and make available to candidates any make good policies provided to commercial advertisers. If a system places a make good for any commercial advertiser or other candidate in a more valuable program or daypart, the value of such make good must be included in the calculation of the lowest unit charge for that program or daypart.

(2) At any time other than the respective periods set forth in paragraph (a)(1) of this section, systems may charge legally qualified candidates for public office no more than the charges made for comparable use of the system by commercial advertisers. The rates, if any, charged all such candidates for the same office shall be uniform and shall not be rebated by any means, direct or indirect. A candidate shall be charged no more than the rate the system would charge for comparable commercial advertising. All discount privileges otherwise offered by a system to commercial advertisers must be disclosed and made available upon equal terms to all candidates for public office.

(b) If a system permits a candidate to use its cablecast facilities, the system shall make all discount privileges offered to commercial advertisers, including the lowest unit charges for each class and length of time in the same time period and all corresponding discount privileges, available on equal terms to all candidates. This duty includes an affirmative duty to disclose to candidates information about rates, terms, conditions and all value-enhancing discount privileges offered to commercial advertisers, as provided in §76.1611. Systems may use reasonable discretion in making the disclosure; provided, however, that the disclosure includes, at a minimum, the following information:

(1) A description and definition of each class of time available to commercial advertisers sufficiently complete enough to allow candidates to identify and understand what specific attributes differentiate each class;

(2) A description of the lowest unit charge and related privileges (such as priorities against preemption and make goods prior to specific deadlines) for each class of time offered to commercial advertisers;

(3) A description of the system's method of selling preemptible time based upon advertiser demand, commonly known as the “current selling level,” with the stipulation that candidates will be able to purchase at these demand-generated rates in the same manner as commercial advertisers;

(4) An approximation of the likelihood of preemption for each kind of preemptible time; and

(5) An explanation of the system's sales practices, if any, that are based on audience delivery, with the stipulation that candidates will be able to purchase this kind of time, if available to commercial advertisers.

(c) Once disclosure is made, systems shall negotiate in good faith to actually sell time to candidates in accordance with the disclosure.

[57 FR 210, Jan. 3, 1992, as amended at 57 FR 27709, June 22, 1992; 65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000]

top

A cable television system operator engaging in origination cablecasting shall afford reasonable opportunity for the discussion of conflicting views on issues of public importance.

Note to §76.209: See public notice, “Applicability of the Fairness Doctrine in the Handling of Controversial Issues of Public Importance,” 29 FR 10415.

[65 FR 66644, Nov. 7, 2000]

top

(a) No cable television system operator, except as in paragraph (c), when engaged in origination cablecasting shall transmit or permit to be transmitted on the origination cablecasting channel or channels any advertisement of or information concerning any lottery, gift, enterprise, or similar scheme, offering prizes dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, or any list of prizes drawn or awarded by means of any such lottery, gift enterprise, or scheme, whether said list contains any part or all of such prizes.

(b) The determination whether a particular program comes within the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section depends on the facts of each case. However, the Commission will in any event consider that a program comes within the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section if in connection with such program a prize consisting of money or thing of value is awarded to any person whose selection is dependent in whole or in part upon lot or chance, if as a condition of winning or competing for such prize, such winner or winners are required to furnish any money or thing of value or are required to have in their possession any product sold, manufactured, furnished, or distributed by a sponsor of a program cablecast on the system in question.

(c) The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall not apply to advertisements or lists of prizes or information concerning:

(1) A lottery conducted by a State acting under authority of State law which is transmitted:

(i) By a cable system located in that State;

(ii) By a cable system located in another State which conducts such a lottery; or

(iii) By a cable system located in another State which is integrated with a cable system described in paragraphs (c)(1)(i) or (c)(1)(ii) of this section, if termination of the receipt of such transmission by the cable systems in such other State would be technically infeasible.

(2) Any gaming conducted by an Indian Tribe pursuant to the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. (25 U.S.C. 2701 et seq.).

(3) A lottery, gift enterprise or similar scheme, other than one described in paragraph (c)(1) of this section, that is authorized or not otherwise prohibited by the State in which it is conducted and which is:

(i) Conducted by a not-for-profit organization or a governmental organization; or

(ii) Conducted as a promotional activity by a commercial organization and is clearly occasional and ancillary to the primary business of that organization.

(d) For the purposes of paragraph (c) lottery means the pooling of proceeds derived from the sale of tickets or chances and allotting those proceeds or parts thereof by chance to one or more chance takers or ticket purchasers. It does not include the placing or accepting of bets or wagers on sporting events or contests.

(e) For purposes of paragraph (c)(3)(i) of this section, the term “not-for-profit organization” means any organization that would qualify as tax exempt under section 501 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.

[37 FR 3278, Feb. 12, 1972, as amended at 40 FR 6210, Feb. 10, 1975; 42 FR 13947, Apr. 13, 1977; 54 FR 20856, May 15, 1989; 55 FR 18888, May 7, 1990]

top

(a) No cable operator shall air more than 10.5 minutes of commercial matter per hour during children's programming on weekends, or more than 12 minutes of commercial matter per hour on weekdays.

(b) The display of Internet Web site addresses during program material is permitted only if the Web site:

(1) Offers a substantial amount of bona fide program-related or other noncommercial content;

(2) Is not primarily intended for commercial purposes, including either e-commerce or advertising;

(3) The Web site's home page and other menu pages are clearly labeled to distinguish the noncommercial from the commercial sections; and

(4) The page of the Web site to which viewers are directed by the Web site address is not used for e-commerce, advertising, or other commercial purposes (e.g., contains no links labeled “store” and no links to another page with commercial material).

(c) The display of Web site addresses in children's programs is prohibited during both program material and commercial material when the site uses characters from the program to sell products or services.

(d) This rule shall not apply to programs aired on a broadcast television channel which the cable operator passively carries, or to access channels over which the cable operator may not exercise editorial control, pursuant to 47 U.S.C. 531(e) and 532(c)(2).

Note 1 to §76.225: Commercial matter means air time sold for purposes of selling a product or service and promotions of television programs or video programming services other than children's educational and informational programming.

Note 2 to §76.225: For purposes of this section, children's programming refers to programs originally produced and broadcast primarily for an audience of children 12 years old and younger.

Note 3 to §76.225: Section 76.1703 contains recordkeeping requirements for cable operators with regard to children's programming.

[56 FR 19616, Apr. 29, 1991, as amended at 65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000; 70 FR 38, Jan. 3, 2005]

Effective Date Note:  At 71 FR 5177, Feb. 1, 2006, in §76.225, paragraphs (b) and (c) and Note 1 were stayed until further notice, effective Feb. 1, 2006.

§ 76.227   [Reserved]

top

top

top

(a) A cable franchise authority may enforce the customer service standards set forth in paragraph (c) of this section against cable operators. The franchise authority must provide affected cable operators ninety (90) days written notice of its intent to enforce the standards.

(b) Nothing in this rule should be construed to prevent or prohibit:

(1) A franchising authority and a cable operator from agreeing to customer service requirements that exceed the standards set forth in paragraph (c) of this section;

(2) A franchising authority from enforcing, through the end of the franchise term, pre-existing customer service requirements that exceed the standards set forth in paragraph (c) of this section and are contained in current franchise agreements;

(3) Any State or any franchising authority from enacting or enforcing any consumer protection law, to the extent not specifically preempted herein; or

(4) The establishment or enforcement of any State or municipal law or regulation concerning customer service that imposes customer service requirements that exceed, or address matters not addressed by the standards set forth in paragraph (c) of this section.

(c) Effective July 1, 1993, a cable operator shall be subject to the following customer service standards:

(1) Cable system office hours and telephone availability—

(i) The cable operator will maintain a local, toll-free or collect call telephone access line which will be available to its subscribers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

(A) Trained company representatives will be available to respond to customer telephone inquiries during normal business hours.

(B) After normal business hours, the access line may be answered by a service or an automated response system, including an answering machine. Inquiries received after normal business hours must be responded to by a trained company representative on the next business day.

(ii) Under normal operating conditions, telephone answer time by a customer representative, including wait time, shall not exceed thirty (30) seconds when the connection is made. If the call needs to be transferred, transfer time shall not exceed thirty (30) seconds. These standards shall be met no less than ninety (90) percent of the time under normal operating conditions, measured on a quarterly basis.

(iii) The operator will not be required to acquire equipment or perform surveys to measure compliance with the telephone answering standards above unless an historical record of complaints indicates a clear failure to comply.

(iv) Under normal operating conditions, the customer will receive a busy signal less than three (3) percent of the time.

(v) Customer service center and bill payment locations will be open at least during normal business hours and will be conveniently located.

(2) Installations, outages and service calls. Under normal operating conditions, each of the following four standards will be met no less than ninety five (95) percent of the time measured on a quarterly basis:

(i) Standard installations will be performed within seven (7) business days after an order has been placed. “Standard” installations are those that are located up to 125 feet from the existing distribution system.

(ii) Excluding conditions beyond the control of the operator, the cable operator will begin working on “service interruptions” promptly and in no event later than 24 hours after the interruption becomes known. The cable operator must begin actions to correct other service problems the next business day after notification of the service problem.

(iii) The “appointment window” alternatives for installations, service calls, and other installation activities will be either a specific time or, at maximum, a four-hour time block during normal business hours. (The operator may schedule service calls and other installation activities outside of normal business hours for the express convenience of the customer.)

(iv) An operator may not cancel an appointment with a customer after the close of business on the business day prior to the scheduled appointment.

(v) If a cable operator representative is running late for an appointment with a customer and will not be able to keep the appointment as scheduled, the customer will be contacted. The appointment will be rescheduled, as necessary, at a time which is convenient for the customer.

(3) Communications between cable operators and cable subscribers—

(i) Refunds—Refund checks will be issued promptly, but no later than either—

(A) The customer's next billing cycle following resolution of the request or thirty (30) days, whichever is earlier, or

(B) The return of the equipment supplied by the cable operator if service is terminated.

(ii) Credits—Credits for service will be issued no later than the customer's next billing cycle following the determination that a credit is warranted.

(4) Definitions—

(i) Normal business hours—The term “normal business hours” means those hours during which most similar businesses in the community are open to serve customers. In all cases, “normal business hours” must include some evening hours at least one night per week and/or some weekend hours.

(ii) Normal operating conditions—The term “normal operating conditions” means those service conditions which are within the control of the cable operator. Those conditions which are not within the control of the cable operator include, but are not limited to, natural disasters, civil disturbances, power outages, telephone network outages, and severe or unusual weather conditions. Those conditions which are ordinarily within the control of the cable operator include, but are not limited to, special promotions, pay-per-view events, rate increases, regular peak or seasonal demand periods, and maintenance or upgrade of the cable system.

(iii) Service interruption—The term “service interruption” means the loss of picture or sound on one or more cable channels.

Note to §76.309: Section 76.1602 contains notification requirements for cable operators with regard to operator obligations to subscribers and general information to be provided to customers regarding service. Section 76.1603 contains subscriber notification requirements governing rate and service changes. Section 76.1619 contains notification requirements for cable operators with regard to subscriber bill information and operator response procedures pertaining to bill disputes.

[58 FR 21109, Apr. 19, 1993, as amended at 61 FR 18977, Apr. 30, 1996; 65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000; 67 FR 1650, Jan. 14, 2002]

top

top

The operator of every operational cable television system that serves 20,000 or more subscribers shall file with the Commission a Form 325 soliciting general information and frequency and signal distribution information on a Physical System Identification Number (“PSID”) basis. These forms shall be completed and filed with (returned to) the Commission within 60 days after the Commission notifies the operator that the form is due.

Note: The Commission retains its authority to require Form 325 to be filed by a sampling of cable operators with less than 20,000 subscribers.

[64 FR 28108, May 25, 1999, as amended at 68 FR 27003, May 19, 2003]

top

top

(a)–(c) [Reserved]

(d) No cable operator shall offer satellite master antenna television service (“SMATV”), as that service is defined in §76.5(a)(2), separate and apart from any franchised cable service in any portion of the franchise area served by that cable operator's cable system, either directly or indirectly through an affiliate owned, operated, controlled, or under common control with the cable operator.

(e)(1) A cable operator may directly or indirectly, through an affiliate owned, operated, controlled by, or under common control with the cable operator, offer SMATV service within its franchise area if the cable operator's SMATV system was owned, operated, controlled by or under common control with the cable operator as of October 5, 1992.

(2) A cable operator may directly or indirectly, through an affiliate owned, operated, controlled by, or under common control with the cable operator, offer service within its franchise area through SMATV facilities, provided such service is offered in accordance with the terms and conditions of a cable franchise agreement.

(f) The restrictions in paragraphs (d) and (e) of this section shall not apply to any cable operator in any franchise area in which a cable operator is subject to effective competition as determined under section 623(l) of the Communications Act.

Note 1 to §76.501: Actual working control, in whatever manner exercised, shall be deemed a cognizable interest.

Note 2 to §76.501: In applying the provisions of this section, ownership and other interests in an entity or entities covered by this rule will be attributed to their holders and deemed cognizable pursuant to the following criteria:

Note 3 to §76.501: In cases where record and beneficial ownership of voting stock is not identical (e.g., bank nominees holding stock as record owners for the benefit of mutual funds, brokerage houses holding stock in street names for benefit of customers, investment advisors holding stock in their own names for the benefit of clients, and insurance companies holding stock), the party having the right to determine how the stock will be voted will be considered to own it for purposes of this subpart.

Note 4 to §76.501: Paragraph (a) of this section will not be applied so as to require the divestiture of ownership interests proscribed herein solely because of the transfer of such interests to heirs or legatees by will or intestacy, provided that the degree or extent of the proscribed cross-ownership is not increased by such transfer.

Note 5 to §76.501: Certifications pursuant to this section and these notes shall be sent to the attention of the Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.

Note 6 to §76.501: In applying paragraph (a) of §76.501, for purposes of paragraph note 2(i) of this section, attribution of ownership interests in an entity covered by this rule that are held indirectly by any party through one or more intervening organizations will be determined by successive multiplication of the ownership percentages for each link in the vertical ownership chain and application of the relevant attribution benchmark to the resulting product. The ownership percentage for any link in the chain that exceeds 50% shall be included. [For example, if A owns 10% of company X, which owns 60% of company Y, which owns 25% of “Licensee,” then X's interest in “Licensee” would 15% (0.6×0.25), and A's interest in “Licensee” would be 1.5% (0.1×0.6×0.25).]

[58 FR 27677, May 11, 1993, as amended at 60 FR 37834, July 24, 1995; 61 FR 15388, Apr. 8, 1996; 64 FR 50646, Sept. 17, 1999; 64 FR 67194, Dec. 1, 1999; 66 FR 9973, Feb. 13, 2001; 67 FR 13234, Mar. 21, 2002; 68 FR 13237, Mar. 19, 2003]

top

(a) A franchise authority shall have 120 days from the date of submission of a completed FCC Form 394, together with all exhibits, and any additional information required by the terms of the franchise agreement or applicable state or local law to act upon an application to sell, assign, or otherwise transfer controlling ownership of a cable system.

(b) A franchise authority that questions the accuracy of the information provided under paragraph (a) must notify the cable operator within 30 days of the filing of such information, or such information shall be deemed accepted, unless the cable operator has failed to provide any additional information reasonably requested by the franchise authority within 10 days of such request.

(c) If the franchise authority fails to act upon such transfer request within 120 days, such request shall be deemed granted unless the franchise authority and the requesting party otherwise agree to an extension of time.

[61 FR 15388, Apr. 8, 1996]

top

(a) Subject to paragraph (b) of this section, no cable operator shall serve more than 30% of all multichannel-video programming subscribers nationwide through multichannel video programming distributors owned by such operator or in which such cable operator holds an attributable interest.

(b) Cable subscribers that a cable operator does not serve through incumbent cable franchises shall be excluded from the cable operator's limit.

(c) For purposes of this section, “incumbent cable franchise” means a cable franchise in existence as of October 20, 1999 and all successors in interest to these franchises.

(d) Subscribers that a cable operator serves through incumbent cable franchises shall include all subscribers served by those incumbent cable franchises, regardless of when the subscribers were added to the incumbent cable franchise system.

(e) “Multichannel video-programming subscribers” means subscribers who receive multichannel video-programming from cable systems, direct broadcast satellite services, direct-to-home satellite services, BRS/EBS, local multipoint distribution services, satellite master antenna television services (as defined in §76.5(a)(2)), and open video systems.

(f) “Cable operator” means any person or entity that owns or has an attributable interest in an incumbent cable franchise.

(g) Prior to acquiring additional multichannel video-programming providers, any cable operator that serves 20% or more of multichannel video-programming subscribers nationwide shall certify to the Commission, concurrent with its applications to the Commission for transfer of licenses at issue in the acquisition, that no violation of the national subscriber limits prescribed in this section will occur as a result of such acquisition.

Note 1 to §76.503: Certifications made under this section shall be sent to the attention of the Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.

Note 2 to §76.503: Attributable Interest shall be defined by reference to the criteria set forth in Notes 1 through 5 to §76.501 provided however, that:

[64 FR 67195, 67199, Dec. 1, 1999, as amended at 67 FR 13234, Mar. 21, 2002; 69 FR 72046, Dec. 10, 2004]

top

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section no cable operator shall devote more than 40 percent of its activated channels to the carriage of national video programming services owned by the cable operator or in which the cable operator has an attributable interest.

(b) The channel occupancy limits set forth in paragraph (a) of this section shall apply only to channel capacity up to 75 channels.

(c) A cable operator may devote two additional channels or up to 45 percent of its channel capacity, whichever is greater, to the carriage of video programming services owned by the cable operator or in which the cable operator has an attributable interest provided such video programming services are minority-controlled.

(d) Cable operators carrying video programming services owned by the cable operator or in which the cable operator holds an attributable interest in excess of limits set forth in paragraph (a) of this section as of December 4, 1992, shall not be precluded by the restrictions in this section.

(e) Minority-controlled means more than 50 percent owned by one or more members of a minority group.

(f) Minority means Black, Hispanic, American Indian, Alaska Native, Asian and Pacific Islander.

Note 1: Attributable interest shall be defined by reference to the criteria set forth in Notes 1 through 5 to §76.501 provided however, that:

Note 2 to §76.504: Section 76.1710 contains recordkeeping requirements for cable operators with regard to attributable interests.

[58 FR 60141, Nov. 15, 1993, as amended at 64 FR 67196, Dec. 1, 1999; 65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000]

top

(a) No local exchange carrier or any affiliate of such carrier owned by, operated by, controlled by, or under common control with such carrier may purchase or otherwise acquire directly or indirectly more than a 10 percent financial interest, or any management interest, in any cable operator providing cable service within the local exchange carrier's telephone service area.

(b) No cable operator or affiliate of a cable operator that is owned by, operated by, controlled by, or under common ownership with such cable operator may purchase or otherwise acquire, directly or indirectly, more than a 10 percent financial interest, or any management interest, in any local exchange carrier providing telephone exchange service within such cable operator's franchise area.

(c) A local exchange carrier and a cable operator whose telephone service area and cable franchise area, respectively, are in the same market may not enter into any joint venture or partnership to provide video programming directly to subscribers or to provide telecommunications services within such market.

(d) Exceptions:

(1) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a), (b), and (c) of this section, a local exchange carrier (with respect to a cable system located in its telephone service area) and a cable operator (with respect to the facilities of a local exchange carrier used to provide telephone exchange service in its cable franchise area) may obtain a controlling interest in, management interest in, or enter into a joint venture or partnership with the operator of such system or facilities for the use of such system or facilities to the extent that:

(i) Such system or facilities only serve incorporated or unincorporated :

(A) Places or territories that have fewer than 35,000 inhabitants; and

(B) Are outside an urbanized area, as defined by the Bureau of the Census; and

(ii) In the case of a local exchange carrier, such system, in the aggregate with any other system in which such carrier has an interest, serves less than 10 percent of the households in the telephone service area of such carrier.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (c) of this section, a local exchange carrier may obtain, with the concurrence of the cable operator on the rates, terms, and conditions, the use of that part of the transmission facilities of a cable system extending from the last multi-user terminal to the premises of the end user, if such use is reasonably limited in scope and duration, as determined by the Commission.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section, a local exchange carrier may obtain a controlling interest in, or form a joint venture or other partnership with, or provide financing to, a cable system (hereinafter in this paragraph referred to as “the subject cable system”) if:

(i) The subject cable system operates in a television market that is not in the top 25 markets, and such market has more than 1 cable system operator, and the subject cable system is not the cable system with the most subscribers in such television market;

(ii) The subject cable system and the cable system with the most subscribers in such television market held on May 1, 1995, cable television franchises from the largest municipality in the television market and the boundaries of such franchises were identical on such date;

(iii) The subject cable system is not owned by or under common ownership or control of any one of the 50 cable system operators with the most subscribers as such operators existed on May 1, 1995; and

(iv) The system with the most subscribers in the television market is owned by or under common ownership or control of any one of the 10 largest cable system operators as such operators existed on May 1, 1995.

(4) Paragraph (a) of this section does not apply to any cable system if:

(i) The cable system serves no more than 17,000 cable subscribers, of which no less than 8,000 live within an urban area, and no less than 6,000 live within a nonurbanized area as of June 1, 1995;

(ii) The cable system is not owned by, or under common ownership or control with, any of the 50 largest cable system operators in existence on June 1, 1995; and

(iii) The cable system operates in a television market that was not in the top 100 television markets as of June 1, 1995.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraphs (a) and (c) of this section, a local exchange carrier with less than $100,000,000 in annual operating revenues (or any affiliate of such carrier owned by, operated by, controlled by, or under common control with such carrier) may purchase or otherwise acquire more than a 10 percent financial interest in, or any management interest in, or enter into a joint venture or partnership with, any cable system within the local exchange carrier's telephone service area that serves no more than 20,000 cable subscribers, if no more than 12,000 of those subscribers live within an urbanized area, as defined by the Bureau of the Census.

(6) The Commission may waive the restrictions of paragraphs (a), (b), or (c) of this section only if:

(i) The Commission determines that, because of the nature of the market served by the affected cable system or facilities used to provide telephone exchange service:

(A) The affected cable operator or local exchange carrier would be subjected to undue economic distress by the enforcement of such provisions;

(B) The system or facilities would not be economically viable if such provisions were enforced; or

(C) The anticompetitive effects of the proposed transaction are clearly outweighed in the public interest by the probable effect of the transaction in meeting the convenience and needs of the community to be served; and

(ii) The local franchising authority approves of such waiver.

(e) For purposes of this section, the term “telephone service area” when used in connection with a common carrier subject in whole or in part to title II of the Communications Act means the area within which such carrier provided telephone exchange service as of January 1, 1993, but if any common carrier after such date transfers its telephone exchange service facilities to another common carrier, the area to which such facilities provide telephone exchange service shall be treated as part of the telephone service area of the acquiring common carrier and not of the selling common carrier.

(f) For purposes of this section, entities are affiliated if either entity has an attributable interest in the other or if a third party has an attributable interest in both entities.

(g) Attributable interest shall be defined by reference to the criteria set forth in Notes 1 through 5 to §76.501.

[61 FR 18977, Apr. 30, 1996, as amended at 64 FR 67196, Dec. 1, 1999]

top

top

(a) The operator of each cable television system shall be responsible for insuring that each such system is designed, installed, and operated in a manner that fully complies with the provisions of this subpart.

(b) The operator of each cable television system shall conduct complete performance tests of that system at least twice each calendar year (at intervals not to exceed seven months), unless otherwise noted below. The performance tests shall be directed at determining the extent to which the system complies with all the technical standards set forth in §76.605(a) and shall be as follows:

(1) For cable television systems with 1000 or more subscribers but with 12,500 or fewer subscribers, proof-of-performance tests conducted pursuant to this section shall include measurements taken at six (6) widely separated points. However, within each cable system, one additional test point shall be added for every additional 12,500 subscribers or fraction thereof (e.g., 7 test points if 12,501 to 25,000 subscribers; 8 test points if 25,001 to 37,500 subscribers, etc.). In addition, for technically integrated portions of cable systems that are not mechanically continuous (i.e., employing microwave connections), at least one test point will be required for each portion of the cable system served by a technically integrated microwave hub. The proof-of-performance test points chosen shall be balanced to represent all geographic areas served by the cable system. At least one-third of the test points shall be representative of subscriber terminals most distant from the system input and from each microwave receiver (if microwave transmissions are employed), in terms of cable length. The measurements may be taken at convenient monitoring points in the cable network: Provided, that data shall be included to relate the measured performance of the system as would be viewed from a nearby subscriber terminal. An identification of the instruments, including the makes, model numbers, and the most recent date of calibration, a description of the procedures utilized, and a statement of the qualifications of the person performing the tests shall also be included.

(2) Proof-of-performance tests to determine the extent to which a cable television system complies with the standards set forth in §76.605(a) (3), (4), and (5) shall be made on each of the NTSC or similar video channels of that system. Unless otherwise as noted, proof-of-performance tests for all other standards in §76.605(a) shall be made on a minimum of four (4) channels plus one additional channel for every 100 MHz, or fraction thereof, of cable distribution system upper frequency limit (e.g., 5 channels for cable television systems with a cable distribution system upper frequency limit of 101 to 216 MHz; 6 channels for cable television systems with a cable distribution system upper frequency limit of 217–300 MHz; 7 channels for cable television systems with a cable distribution upper frequency limit to 300 to 400 MHz, etc.). The channels selected for testing must be representative of all the channels within the cable television system.

(3) The operator of each cable television system shall conduct semi-annual proof-of-performance tests of that system, to determine the extent to which the system complies with the technical standards set forth in §76.605(a)(4) as follows. The visual signal level on each channel shall be measured and recorded, along with the date and time of the measurement, once every six hours (at intervals of not less than five hours or no more than seven hours after the previous measurement), to include the warmest and the coldest times, during a 24-hour period in January or February and in July or August.

(4) The operator of each cable television system shall conduct triennial proof-of-performance tests of its system to determine the extent to which the system complies with the technical standards set forth in §76.605(a)(11).

(c) Successful completion of the performance tests required by paragraph (b) of this section does not relieve the system of the obligation to comply with all pertinent technical standards at all subscriber terminals. Additional tests, repeat tests, or tests involving specified subscriber terminals may be required by the Commission or the local franchiser to secure compliance with the technical standards.

(d) The provisions of paragraphs (b) and (c) of this section shall not apply to any cable television system having fewer than 1,000 subscribers: Provided, however, that any cable television system using any frequency spectrum other than that allocated to over-the-air television and FM broadcasting (as described in §§73.603 and 73.210 of this chapter) is required to conduct all tests, measurements and monitoring of signal leakage that are required by this subpart. A cable television system operator complying with the monitoring, logging and the leakage repair requirements of §76.614, shall be considered to have met the requirements of this paragraph. However, the leakage log shall be retained for five years rather than the two years prescribed in §76.1706.

Note 1 to §76.601: Prior to requiring any additional testing pursuant to §76.601(c), the local franchising authority shall notify the cable operator who will be allowed thirty days to come into compliance with any perceived signal quality problems which need to be corrected. The Commission may request cable operators to test their systems at any time.

Note 2 to §76.601: Section 76.1717 contains recordkeeping requirements for each system operator in order to show compliance with the technical rules of this subpart.

Note 3 to §76.601: Section 76.1704 contains recordkeeping requirements for proof of performance tests.

[65 FR 53615, Sept. 5, 2000]

top

(a) The materials listed in this section are incorporated by reference in this part. These incorporations by reference were approved by the Director of the Federal Register in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 552(a) and 1 CFR part 51. These materials are incorporated as they exist on the date of the approval, and notice of any change in these materials will be published in the Federal Register. The materials are available for purchase at the corresponding addresses as noted, and all are available for inspection at the Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th. St., SW., Reference Information Center, Room CY-A257, Washington, DC 20554 and at the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). For information on the availability of this material at NARA, call 202–741–6030, or go to: http://www.archives.gov/federal_register/code_of_federal_regulations/ibr_locations.html.

(b) The following materials are available for purchase from at least one of the following addresses: Global Engineering Documents, 15 Inverness Way East, Englewood, CO 80112 or at http://global.ihs.com; or American National Standards Institute, 25 West 43rd Street, 4th Floor, New York, NY 10036 or at http://webstore.ansi.org/ansidocstore/default.asp; or Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers at http://www.scte.org/standards/index.cfm; or Advanced Television Systems Committee, 1750 K Street, NW., Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20006 or at http://www.atsc.org/standards.

(1) ANSI/SCTE 26 2001 (formerly DVS 194): “Home Digital Network Interface Specification with Copy Protection,” 2001, IBR approved for §76.640.

(2) SCTE 28 2003 (formerly DVS 295): “Host-POD Interface Standard,” 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(3) SCTE 41 2003 (formerly DVS 301): “POD Copy Protection System,” 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(4) ANSI/SCTE 54 2003 (formerly DVS 241), “Digital Video Service Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television,” 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(5) ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234), “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television,” 2002, IBR approved for §76.640.

(6) CEA–931–A, “Remote Control Command Pass-through Standard for Home Networking,” 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(7) SCTE 40 2003 (formerly DVS 313), “Digital Cable Network Interface Standard,” 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(8) ATSC A/65B: “ATSC Standard: Program and System Information Protocol for Terrestrial Broadcast and Cable (Revision B),” March 18, 2003, IBR approved for §76.640.

(9) CEA–542–B: “CEA Standard: Cable Television Channel Identification Plan,” July 2003, IBR approved for §76.605.

[68 FR 66734, Nov. 28, 2003, as amended at 69 FR 18803, Apr. 9, 2004; 69 FR 57861, Sept. 28, 2004]

top

(a) The following requirements apply to the performance of a cable television system as measured at any subscriber terminal with a matched impedance at the termination point or at the output of the modulating or processing equipment (generally the headend) of the cable television system or otherwise as noted. The requirements are applicable to each NTSC or similar video downstream cable television channel in the system:

(1)(i) The cable television channels delivered to the subscriber's terminal shall be capable of being received and displayed by TV broadcast receivers used for off-the-air reception of TV broadcast signals, as authorized under part 73 of this chapter; and

(ii) Cable television systems shall transmit signals to subscriber premises equipment on frequencies in accordance with the channel allocation plan set forth in CEA–542–B: “Standard: Cable Television Channel Identification Plan,” (Incorporated by reference, see §76.602).

(2) The aural center frequency of the aural carrier must be 4.5 MHz ±5 kHz above the frequency of the visual carrier at the output of the modulating or processing equipment of a cable television system, and at the subscriber terminal.

(3) The visual signal level, across a terminating impedance which correctly matches the internal impedance of the cable system as viewed from the subscriber terminal, shall not be less than 1 millivolt across an internal impedance of 75 ohms (0 dBmV). Additionally, as measured at the end of a 30 meter (100 foot) cable drop that is connected to the subscriber tap, it shall not be less than 1.41 millivolts across an internal impedance of 75 ohms (+3 dBmV). (At other impedance values, the minimum visual signal level, as viewed from the subscriber terminal, shall be the square root of 0.0133 (Z) millivolts and, as measured at the end of a 30 meter (100 foot) cable drop that is connected to the subscriber tap, shall be 2 times the square root of 0.00662(Z) millivolts, where Z is the appropriate impedance value.)

(4) The visual signal level on each channel, as measured at the end of a 30 meter cable drop that is connected to the subscriber tap, shall not vary more than 8 decibels within any six-month interval, which must include four tests performed in six-hour increments during a 24-hour period in July or August and during a 24-hour period in January or February, and shall be maintained within:

(i) 3 decibels (dB) of the visual signal level of any visual carrier within a 6 MHz nominal frequency separation;

(ii) 10 dB of the visual signal level on any other channel on a cable television system of up to 300 MHz of cable distribution system upper frequency limit, with a 1 dB increase for each additional 100 MHz of cable distribution system upper frequency limit (e.g., 11 dB for a system at 301–400 MHz; 12 dB for a system at 401–500 MHz, etc.); and

(iii) A maximum level such that signal degradation due to overload in the subscriber's receiver or terminal does not occur.

(5) The rms voltage of the aural signal shall be maintained between 10 and 17 decibels below the associated visual signal level. This requirement must be met both at the subscriber terminal and at the output of the modulating and processing equipment (generally the headend). For subscriber terminals that use equipment which modulate and remodulate the signal (e.g., baseband converters), the rms voltage of the aural signal shall be maintained between 6.5 and 17 decibels below the associated visual signal level at the subscriber terminal.

(6) The amplitude characteristic shall be within a range of ±2 decibels from 0.75 MHz to 5.0 MHz above the lower boundary frequency of the cable television channel, referenced to the average of the highest and lowest amplitudes within these frequency boundaries. The amplitude characteristic shall be measured at the subscriber terminal.

(7) The ratio of RF visual signal level to system noise shall not be less than 43 decibels. For class I cable television channels, the requirements of this section are applicable only to:

(i) Each signal which is delivered by a cable television system to subscribers within the predicted Grade B contour for that signal;

(ii) Each signal which is first picked up within its predicted Grade B contour;

(iii) Each signal that is first received by the cable television system by direct video feed from a TV broadcast station, a low power TV station, or a TV translator station.

(8) The ratio of visual signal level to the rms amplitude of any coherent disturbances such as intermodulation products, second and third order distortions or discrete-frequency interfering signals not operating on proper offset assignments shall be as follows:

(i) The ratio of visual signal level to coherent disturbances shall not be less than 51 decibels for noncoherent channel cable television systems, when measured with modulated carriers and time averaged; and

(ii) The ratio of visual signal level to coherent disturbances which are frequency-coincident with the visual carrier shall not be less than 47 decibels for coherent channel cable systems, when measured with modulated carriers and time averaged.

(9) The terminal isolation provided to each subscriber terminal:

(i) Shall not be less than 18 decibels. In lieu of periodic testing, the cable operator may use specifications provided by the manufacturer for the terminal isolation equipment to meet this standard; and

(ii) Shall be sufficient to prevent reflections caused by open-circuited or short-circuited subscriber terminals from producing visible picture impairments at any other subscriber terminal.

(10) The peak-to-peak variation in visual signal level caused by undesired low frequency disturbances (hum or repetitive transients) generated within the system, or by inadequate low frequency response, shall not exceed 3 percent of the visual signal level. Measurements made on a single channel using a single unmodulated carrier may be used to demonstrate compliance with this parameter at each test location.

(11) As of June 30, 1995, the following requirements apply to the performance of the cable television system as measured at the output of the modulating or processing equipment (generally the headend) of the system:

(i) The chrominance-luminance delay inequality (or chroma delay), which is the change in delay time of the chrominance component of the signal relative to the luminance component, shall be within 170 nanoseconds.

(ii) The differential gain for the color subcarrier of the television signal, which is measured as the difference in amplitude between the largest and smallest segments of the chrominance signal (divided by the largest and expressed in percent), shall not exceed ±20%.

(iii) The differential phase for the color subcarrier of the television signal which is measured as the largest phase difference in degrees between each segment of the chrominance signal and reference segment (the segment at the blanking level of O IRE), shall not exceed ±10 degrees.

(12) As an exception to the general provision requiring measurements to be made at subscriber terminals, and without regard to the type of signals carried by the cable television system, signal leakage from a cable television system shall be measured in accordance with the procedures outlined in §76.609(h) and shall be limited as follows:

(b) Cable television systems distributing signals by using methods such as nonconventional coaxial cable techniques, noncoaxial copper cable techniques, specialized coaxial cable and fiber optical cable hybridization techniques or specialized compression techniques or specialized receiving devices, and which, because of their basic design, cannot comply with one or more of the technical standards set forth in paragraph (a) of this section, may be permitted to operate: Provided, That an adequate showing is made pursuant to §76.7 which establishes that the public interest is benefited. In such instances, the Commission may prescribe special technical requirements to ensure that subscribers to such systems are provided with an equivalent level of good quality service.

Note 1: Local franchising authorities of systems serving fewer than 1000 subscribers may adopt standards less stringent than those in §76.605(a). Any such agreement shall be reduced to writing and be associated with the system's proof-of-performance records.

Note 2: For systems serving rural areas as defined in §76.5, the system may negotiate with its local franchising authority for standards less stringent than those in §§76.605(a)(3), 76.605(a)(7), 76.605(a)(8), 76.605(a)(10) and 76.605(a)(11). Any such agreement shall be reduced to writing and be associated with the system's proof-of-performance records.

Note 3: The requirements of this section shall not apply to devices subject to the TV interface device rules under part 15 of this chapter.

Note 4: Should subscriber complaints arise from a system failing to meet §76.605(a)(6) prior to December 30, 1999, the cable operator will be required to provide a converter that will allow the system to meet the standard immediately at the complaining subscriber's terminal. Further, should the problem be found to be system-wide, the Commission may order all converters on the system be changed to meet the standard.

Note 5: Should subscriber complaints arise from a system failing to meet §76.605(a)(10), the cable operator will be required to remedy the complaint and perform test measurements on §76.605(a)(10) containing the full number of channels as indicated in §76.601(b)(2) at the complaining subscriber's terminal. Further, should the problem be found to be system-wide, the Commission may order that the full number of channels as indicated in §76.601(b)(2) be tested at all required locations for future proof-of-performance tests.

Note 6: No State or franchising authority may prohibit, condition, or restrict a cable system's use of any type of subscriber equipment or any transmission technology.

[37 FR 3278, Feb. 12, 1972, as amended at 37 FR 13867, July 14, 1972; 40 FR 2690, Jan. 15, 1975; 40 FR 3296, Jan. 21, 1975; 41 FR 53028, Dec. 3, 1976; 42 FR 21782, Apr. 29, 1977; 47 FR 21503, May 18, 1982; 50 FR 52466, Dec. 24, 1985; 51 FR 1255, Jan. 10, 1986; 52 FR 22461, June 12, 1987; 57 FR 11002, Apr. 1, 1992; 57 FR 61010, Dec. 23, 1992; 58 FR 44952, Aug. 25, 1993; 59 FR 25342, May 16, 1994; 61 FR 18510, Apr. 26, 1996; 61 FR 18978, Apr. 30, 1996; 65 FR 53616, Sept. 5, 2000; 69 FR 2849, Jan. 21, 2004; 69 FR 57861, Sept. 28, 2004]

top

(a) As of June 30, 1992, the operator of each cable television system shall not take any action to remove or alter closed captioning data contained on line 21 of the vertical blanking interval.

(b) As of July 1, 1993, the operator of each cable television system shall deliver intact closed captioning data contained on line 21 of the vertical blanking interval, as it arrives at the headend or from another origination source, to subscriber terminals and (when so delivered to the cable system) in a format that can be recovered and displayed by decoders meeting §15.119 of this chapter.

[57 FR 11003, Apr. 1, 1992]

top

(a) Measurements made to demonstrate conformity with the performance requirements set forth in §§76.601 and 76.605 shall be made under conditions which reflect system performance during normal operations, including the effect of any microwave relay operated in the Cable Television Relay (CARS) Service intervening between pickup antenna and the cable distribution network. Amplifiers shall be operated at normal gains, either by the insertion of appropriate signals or by manual adjustment. Special signals inserted in a cable television channel for measurement purposes should be operated at levels approximating those used for normal operation. Pilot tones, auxiliary or substitute signals, and nontelevision signals normally carried on the cable television system should be operated at normal levels to the extent possible. Some exemplary, but not mandatory, measurement procedures are set forth in this section.

(b) When it may be necessary to remove the television signal normally carried on a cable television channel in order to facilitate a performance measurement, it will be permissible to disconnect the antenna which serves the channel under measurement and to substitute therefor a matching resistance termination. Other antennas and inputs should remain connected and normal signal levels should be maintained on other channels.

(c) As may be necessary to ensure satisfactory service to a subscriber, the Commission may require additional tests to demonstrate system performance or may specify the use of different test procedures.

(d) The frequency response of a cable television channel may be determined by one of the following methods, as appropriate:

(1) By using a swept frequency or a manually variable signal generator at the sending end and a calibrated attenuator and frequency-selective voltmeter at the subscriber terminal; or

(2) By using either a multiburst generator or vertical interval test signals and either a modulator or processor at the sending end, and by using either a demodulator and either an oscilloscope display or a waveform monitor display at the subscriber terminal.

(e) System noise may be measured using a frequency-selective voltmeter (field strength meter) which has been suitably calibrated to indicate rms noise or average power level and which has a known bandwidth. With the system operating at normal level and with a properly matched resistive termination substituted for the antenna, noise power indications at the subscriber terminal are taken in successive increments of frequency equal to the bandwidth of the frequency-selective voltmeter, summing the power indications to obtain the total noise power present over a 4 MHz band centered within the cable television channel. If it is established that the noise level is constant within this bandwidth, a single measurement may be taken which is corrected by an appropriate factor representing the ratio of 4 MHz to the noise bandwidth of the frequency-selective voltmeter. If an amplifier is inserted between the frequency-selective voltmeter and the subscriber terminal in order to facilitate this measurement, it should have a bandwidth of at least 4 MHz and appropriate corrections must be made to account for its gain and noise figure. Alternatively, measurements made in accordance with the NCTA Recommended Practices for Measurements on Cable Television Systems, 2nd edition, November 1989, on noise measurement may be employed.

(f) The amplitude of discrete frequency interfering signals within a cable television channel may be determined with either a spectrum analyzer or with a frequency-selective voltmeter (field strength meter), which instruments have been calibrated for adequate accuracy. If calibration accuracy is in doubt, measurements may be referenced to a calibrated signal generator, or a calibrated variable attenuator, substituted at the point of measurement. If an amplifier is used between the subscriber terminal and the measuring instrument, appropriate corrections must be made to account for its gain.

(g) The terminal isolation between any two terminals in the cable television system may be measured by applying a signal of known amplitude to one terminal and measuring the amplitude of that signal at the other terminal. The frequency of the signal should be close to the midfrequency of the channel being tested. Measurements of terminal isolation are not required when either:

(1) The manufacturer's specifications for subscriber tap isolation based on a representative sample of no less than 500 subscribers taps or

(2) Laboratory tests performed by or for the operator of a cable television system on a representative sample of no less than 50 subscriber taps, indicates that the terminal isolation standard of §76.605(a)(9) is met.

To demonstrate compliance with §76.605(a)(9), the operator of a cable television system shall attach either such manufacturer's specifications or laboratory measurements as an exhibit to each proof-of-performance record.

(h) Measurements to determine the field strength of the signal leakage emanated by the cable television system shall be made in accordance with standard engineering procedures. Measurements made on frequencies above 25 MHz shall include the following:

(1) A field strength meter of adequate accuracy using a horizontal dipole antenna shall be employed.

(2) Field strength shall be expressed in terms of the rms value of synchronizing peak for each cable television channel for which signal leakage can be measured.

(3) The resonant half wave dipole antenna shall be placed 3 meters from and positioned directly below the system components and at 3 meters above ground. Where such placement results in a separation of less than 3 meters between the center of the dipole antenna and the system components, or less than 3 meters between the dipole and ground level, the dipole shall be repositioned to provide a separation of 3 meters from the system components at a height of 3 meters or more above ground.

(4) The horizontal dipole antenna shall be rotated about a vertical axis and the maximum meter reading shall be used.

(5) Measurements shall be made where other conductors are 3 or more meters (10 or more feet) away from the measuring antenna.

(i) For systems using cable traps and filters to control the delivery of specific channels to the subscriber terminal, measurements made to determine compliance with §76.605(a) (5) and (6) may be performed at the location immediately prior to the trap or filter for the specific channel. The effects of these traps or filters, as certified by the system engineer or the equipment manufacturer, must be attached to each proof-of-performance record.

(j) Measurements made to determine the differential gain, differential phase and the chrominance-luminance delay inequality (chroma delay) shall be made in accordance with the NCTA Recommended Practices for Measurements on Cable Television Systems, 2nd edition, November 1989, on these parameters.

[37 FR 3278, Feb. 12, 1972, as amended at 37 FR 13867, July 14, 1972; 41 FR 10067, Mar. 9, 1976; 42 FR 21782, Apr. 29, 1977; 49 FR 45441, Nov. 16, 1984; 57 FR 11004, Apr. 1, 1992; 57 FR 61011, Dec. 23, 1992; 58 FR 44952, Aug. 25, 1993]

top

The provisions of §§76.605(a)(12), 76.611, 76.612, 76.613, 76.614, 76.616, 76.617, 76.1803 and 76.1804 are applicable to all MVPDs (cable and non-cable) transmitting carriers or other signal components carried at an average power level equal to or greater than 10⁻⁴ watts across a 25 kHz bandwidth in any 160 microsecond period, at any point in the cable distribution system in the frequency bands 108–137 and 225–400 MHz for any purpose. Exception: Non-cable MVPDs serving less than 1000 subscribers and less than 1000 units do not have to comply with §76.1803.

[69 FR 57862, Sept. 28, 2004]

top

(a) No cable television system shall commence or provide service in the frequency bands 108–137 and 225–400 MHz unless such systems is in compliance with one of the following cable television basic signal leakage performance criteria:

(1) prior to carriage of signals in the aeronautical radio bands and at least once each calendar year, with no more than 12 months between successive tests thereafter, based on a sampling of at least 75% of the cable strand, and including any portion of the cable system which are known to have or can reasonably be expected to have less leakage integrity than the average of the system, the cable operator demonstrates compliance with a cumulative signal leakage index by showing either that (i) 10 log I₃₀₀₀ is equal to or less than −7 or (ii) 10 log I₀₀ is equal to or less than 64, using one of the following formula:

where:

r_i is the distance (in meters) between the leakage source and the center of the cable television system;

The sum is carried over all leaks i detected in the cable examined; or

(2) prior to carriage of signals in the aeronautical radio bands and at least once each calendar year, with no more than 12 months between successive tests thereafter, the cable operator demonstrates by measurement in the airspace that at no point does the field strength generated by the cable system exceed 10 microvolts per meter (µV/m) RMS at an altitude of 450 meters above the average terrain of the cable system. The measurement system (including the receiving antenna) shall be calibrated against a known field of 10 µV/m RMS produced by a well characterized antenna consisting of orthogonal reasonant dipoles, both parallel to and one quarter wavelength above the ground plane of a diameter of two meters or more at ground level. The dipoles shall have centers collocated and be excited 90 degrees apart. The half-power bandwidth of the detector shall be 25 kHz. If an aeronautical receiver is used for this purpose it shall meet the standards of the Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics (RCTA) for aeronautical communications receivers. The aircraft antenna shall be horizontally polarized. Calibration shall be made in the community unit or, if more than one, in any of the community units of the physical system within a reasonable time period to performing the measurements. If data is recorded digitally the 90th percentile level of points recorded over the cable system shall not exceed 10 µV/m RMS; if analog recordings is used the peak values of the curves, when smoothed according to good engineering practices, shall not exceed 10 µV/m RMS.

(b) In paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section the unmodulated test signal used on the cable plant shall: (1) Be within the VHF aeronautical band 108–137 MHz or any other frequency in which the results can be correlated to the VHF aeronautical band and (2) have an average power level equal to the average power level of the strongest cable television carrier on the system.

(c) In paragraph (a)(1) and (2) of this section, if a modulated test signal is used, the test signal and detector technique must, when considered together, yield the same result as though an unmodulated test signal were used in conjunction with a detection technique which would yield the RMS value of said unmodulated carrier.

(d) If a sampling of at least 75% of the cable strand (and including any portions of the cable system which are known to have or can reasonably be expected to have less leakage integrity than the average of the system) as described in paragraph (a)(1) cannot be obtained by the cable operator or is otherwise not reasonably feasible, the cable operator shall perform the airspace measurements described in paragraph (a)(2).

(e) Prior to providing service to any subscriber on a new section of cable plant, the operator shall show compliance with either: (1) The basic signal leakage criteria in accordance with paragraph (a)(1) or (a)(2) of this section for the entire plant in operation or (2) a showing shall be made indicating that no individual leak in the new section of the plant exceeds 20   µV/m at 3 meters in accordance with §76.609 fo the Rules.

(f) Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this section, a cable operator shall be permitted to operate on any frequency which is offset pursuant to §76.612 in the frequency band 108–137 MHz for the purpose of demonstrating compliance with the cable television basic signal leakage performance criteria.

[50 FR 29399, July 19, 1985, as amended at 53 FR 2499, Jan. 28, 1988; 53 FR 5684, Feb. 25, 1988; 58 FR 44952, Aug. 25, 1993]

top

All cable television systems which operate in the frequency bands 108–137 and 225–400 MHz shall comply with the following frequency separation standards:

(a) In the aeronautical radiocommunication bands 118–137, 225–328.6 and 335.4–400 MHz, the frequency of all carrier signals or signal components carried at an average power level equal to or greater than 10⁻⁴ watts in a 25 kHz bandwidth in any 160 microsecond period must operate at frequencies offset from certain frequencies which may be used by aeronautical radio services operated by Commission licensees or by the United States Government or its Agencies. The aeronautical frequencies from which offsets must be maintained are those frequencies which are within one of the aeronautical bands defined in this subparagraph, and when expressed in MHz and divided by 0.025 yield an integer. The offset must meet one of the following two criteria:

(1) All such cable carriers or signal components shall be offset by 12.5 kHz with a frequency tolerance of ±5 kHz; or

(2) The fundamental frequency from which the visual carrier frequencies are derived by multiplication by an integer number which shall be 6.0003 MHz with a tolerance of ±1 Hz (Harmonically Related Carrier (HRC) comb generators only).

(b) In the aeronautical radionavigation bands 108–118 and 328.6–335.4 MHz, the frequency of all carrier signals or signal components carrier at an average power level equal to or greater than 10⁻⁴ watts in a 25 kHz bandwidth in any 160 microsecond period shall be offset by 25 kHz with a tolerance of ±5 kHz. The aeronautical radionavigation frequencies from which offsets must be maintained are defined as follows:

(1) Within the aeronautical band 108–118 MHz when expressed in MHz and divided by 0.025 yield an even integer.

(2) Within the band 328.6–335.4 MHz, the radionavigation glide path channels are listed in Section 87.501 of the Rules.

Note: The HRC system, as described above, will meet this requirement in the 328.6–335.4 MHz navigation glide path band. Those Incrementally Related Carriers (IRC) systems, with comb generator reference frequencies set at certain odd multiples equal to or greater than 3 times the 0.0125 MHz aeronautical communications band offset, e.g. (6n + 1.250 ±0.0375) MHz, may also meet the 25 kHz offset requirement in the navigation glide path band.

[50 FR 29400, July 19, 1985]

top

(a) Harmful interference is any emission, radiation or induction which endangers the functioning of a radionavigation service or of other safety services or seriously degrades, obstructs or repeatedly interrupts a radiocommunication service operating in accordance with this chapter.

(b) An MVPD that causes harmful interference shall promptly take appropriate measures to eliminate the harmful interference.

(c) If harmful interference to radio communications involving the safety of life and protection of property cannot be promptly eliminated by the application of suitable techniques, operation of the offending MVPD or appropriate elements thereof shall immediately be suspended upon notification by the District Director and/or Resident Agent of the Commission's local field office, and shall not be resumed until the interference has been eliminated to the satisfaction of the District Director and/or Resident Agent. When authorized by the District Director and/or Resident Agent, short test operations may be made during the period of suspended operation to check the efficacy of remedial measures.

(d) The MVPD may be required by the District Director and/or Resident Agent to prepare and submit a report regarding the cause(s) of the interference, corrective measures planned or taken, and the efficacy of the remedial measures.

[42 FR 41296, Aug. 16, 1977, as amended at 62 FR 61031, Nov. 14, 1997]

top

Cable television operators transmitting carriers in the frequency bands 108–137 and 225–400 MHz shall provide for a program of regular monitoring for signal leakage by substantially covering the plant every three months. The incorporation of this monitoring program into the daily activities of existing service personnel in the discharge of their normal duties will generally cover all portions of the system and will therefore meet this requirement. Monitoring equipment and procedures utilized by a cable operator shall be adequate to detect a leakage source which produces a field strength in these bands of 20 uV/m or greater at a distance of 3 meters. During regular monitoring, any leakage source which produces a field strength of 20 uV/m or greater at a distance of 3 meters in the aeronautical radio frequency bands shall be noted and such leakage sources shall be repaired within a reasonable period of time.

Note 1 to §76.614: Section 76.1706 contains signal leakage recordkeeping requirements applicable to cable operators.

[65 FR 53616, Sept. 5, 2000]

top

(a) The transmission of carriers or other signal components capable of delivering peak power levels equal to or greater than 10⁻⁵ watts at any point in a cable television system is prohibited within 100 kHz of the frequency 121.5 MHz, and is prohibited within 50 kHz of the two frequencies 156.8 MHz and 243.0 MHz.

(b) At any point on a cable system from 405.925 MHz to 406.176 MHz analog transmissions are prohibited from delivering peak power levels equal to or greater than 10⁻⁵ watts. The transmission of digital signals in this range is limited to power levels measured using a root-mean-square detector of less than 10⁻⁵ watts in any 30 kHz bandwidth over any 2.5 millisecond interval.

[69 FR 57862, Sept. 28, 2004]

top

Interference resulting from the use of cable system terminal equipment (including subscriber terminal, input selector switch and any other accessories) shall be the responsibility of the cable system terminal equipment operator in accordance with the provisions of part 15 of this chapter: provided, however, that the operator of a cable system to which the cable system terminal equipment is connected shall be responsible for detecting and eliminating any signal leakage where that leakage would cause interference outside the subscriber's premises and/or would cause the cable system to exceed the Part 76 signal leakage requirements. In cases where excessive signal leakage occurs, the cable operator shall be required only to discontinue service to the subscriber until the problem is corrected.

[53 FR 46619, Nov. 18, 1989]

top

top

(a) Cable system operators shall not scramble or otherwise encrypt signals carried on the basic service tier. Requests for waivers of this prohibition must demonstrate either a substantial problem with theft of basic tier service or a strong need to scramble basic signals for other reasons. As part of this showing, cable operators are required to notify subscribers by mail of waiver requests. The notice to subscribers must be mailed no later than thirty calendar days from the date the request waiver was filed with the Commission, and cable operators must inform the Commission in writing, as soon as possible, of that notification date. The notification to subscribers must state:

On (date of waiver request was filed with the Commission), (cable operator's name) filed with the Federal Communications Commission a request for waiver of the rule prohibiting scrambling of channels on the basic tier of service. 47 CFR 76.630(a). The request for waiver states (a brief summary of the waiver request). A copy of the request for waiver is on file for public inspection at (the address of the cable operator's local place of business).

(b) Cable system operators that provide their subscribers with cable system terminal devices and other customer premises equipment that incorporates remote control capability shall permit the remote operation of such devices with commercially available remote control units or otherwise take no action that would prevent the devices from being operated by a commercially available remote control unit. Cable system operators are advised that this requirement obliges them to actively enable the remote control functions of customer premises equipment where those functions do not operate without a special activation procedure. Cable system operators may, however, disable the remote control functions of a subscriber's customer premises equipment where requested by the subscriber.

Note 1 to §76.630: The provisions of paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section are applicable July 31, 1994, and June 30, 1994, respectively.

Note 2 to §76.630: §76.1621 contains certain requirements pertaining to a cable operator's offer to supply subscribers with special equipment that will enable the simultaneous reception of multiple signals.

Note 3 to §76.630: §76.1622 contains certain requirements pertaining to the provision of a consumer education program on compatibility matters to subscribers.

Note 4 to §76.630: Cable operators must comply with the notification requirements pertaining to the waiver of the prohibition against scrambling and encryption, and comply with the public file requirement in connection with such waiver.

[59 FR 25342, May 16, 1994, as amended at 61 FR 18510, Apr. 26, 1996; 65 FR 53616, Sept. 5, 2000; 67 FR 1650, Jan. 14, 2002; 67 FR 13235, Mar. 21, 2002]

top

(a) The requirements of this section shall apply to digital cable systems. For purposes of this section, digital cable systems shall be defined as a cable system with one or more channels utilizing QAM modulation for transporting programs and services from its headend to receiving devices. Cable systems that only pass through 8 VSB broadcast signals shall not be considered digital cable systems.

(b) No later than July 1, 2004, cable operators shall support unidirectional digital cable products, as defined in §15.123 of this chapter, through the provisioning of Point of Deployment modules (PODs) and services, as follows:

(1) Digital cable systems with an activated channel capacity of 750 MHz or greater shall comply with the following technical standards and requirements:

(i) SCTE 40 2003 (formerly DVS 313): “Digital Cable Network Interface Standard” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602), provided however that with respect to Table B.11, the Phase Noise requirement shall be −86 dB/Hz, and also provided that the “transit delay for most distant customer” requirement in Table B.3 is not mandatory.

(ii) ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234): “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602), provided however that the referenced Source Name Subtable shall be provided for Profiles 1, 2, and 3.

(iii) ANSI/SCTE 54 2003 (formerly DVS 241): “Digital Video Service Multiplex and Transport System Standard for Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602).

(iv) For each digital transport stream that includes one or more services carried in-the-clear, such transport stream shall include virtual channel data in-band in the form of ATSC A/65B: “ATSC Standard: Program and System Information Protocol for Terrestrial Broadcast and Cable (Revision B)” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602), when available from the content provider. With respect to in-band transport:

(A) The data shall, at minimum, describe services carried within the transport stream carrying the PSIP data itself;

(B) PSIP data describing a twelve-hour time period shall be carried for each service in the transport stream. This twelve-hour period corresponds to delivery of the following event information tables: EIT–0, –1, –2 and –3;

(C) The format of event information data format shall conform to ATSC A/65B: “ATSC Standard: Program and System Information Protocol for Terrestrial Broadcast and Cable (Revision B)” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602);

(D) Each channel shall be identified by a one- or two-part channel number and a textual channel name; and

(E) The total bandwidth for PSIP data may be limited by the cable system to 80 kbps for a 27 Mbits multiplex and 115 kbps for a 38.8 Mbits multiplex.

(v) When service information tables are transmitted out-of-band for scrambled services:

(A) The data shall, at minimum, describe services carried within the transport stream carrying the PSIP data itself;

(B) A virtual channel table shall be provided via the extended channel interface from the POD module. Tables to be included shall conform to ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234): “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602).

(C) Event information data when present shall conform to ANSI/SCTE 65 2002 (formerly DVS 234): “Service Information Delivered Out-of-Band for Digital Cable Television” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602) (profiles 4 or higher).

(D) Each channel shall be identified by a one-or two-part channel number and a textual channel name; and

(E) The channel number identified with out-of-band signaling information data should match the channel identified with in-band PSIP data for all unscrambled in-the-clear services.

(2) All digital cable systems shall comply with:

(i) SCTE 28 2003 (formerly DVS 295): “Host-POD Interface Standard” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602).

(ii) SCTE 41 2003 (formerly DVS 301): “POD Copy Protection System” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602).

(3) Cable operators shall ensure, as to all digital cable systems, an adequate supply of PODs that comply with the standards specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section to ensure convenient access to such PODS by customers. Without limiting the foregoing, cable operators may provide more advanced PODs (i.e., PODs that are based on successor standards to those specified in paragraph (b)(2) of this section) to customers whose unidirectional digital cable products are compatible with the more advanced PODs.

(4) Cable operators shall:

(i) Effective April 1, 2004, upon request of a customer, replace any leased high definition set-top box, which does not include a functional IEEE 1394 interface, with one that includes a functional IEEE 1394 interface or upgrade the customer's set-top box by download or other means to ensure that the IEEE 1394 interface is functional.

(ii) Effective July 1, 2005, include both a DVI or HDMI interface and an IEEE 1394 interface on all high definition set-top boxes acquired by a cable operator for distribution to customers.

(iii) Ensure that these cable operator-provided high definition set-top boxes shall comply with ANSI/SCTE 26 2001 (formerly DVS 194): “Home Digital Network Interface Specification with Copy Protection” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602), with transmission of bit-mapped graphics optional, and shall support the CEA–931–A: “Remote Control Command Pass-through Standard for Home Networking” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602), pass through control commands: tune function, mute function, and restore volume function. In addition these boxes shall support the power control commands (power on, power off, and status inquiry) defined in A/VC Digital Interface Command Set General Specification Version 4.0 (as referenced in ANSI/SCTE 26 2001 (formerly DVS 194): “Home Digital Network Interface Specification with Copy Protection” (incorporated by reference, see §76.602)).

[68 FR 66734, Nov. 28, 2003]

top

top

(a) Notwithstanding 47 U.S.C. 532(b)(2) (Communications Act of 1934, as amended, section 612), a cable operator, in accordance with 47 U.S.C. 532(h) (Cable Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, section 10(a)), may adopt and enforce prospectively a written and published policy of prohibiting programming which, it reasonably believes, describes or depicts sexual or excretory activities or organs in a patently offensive manner as measured by contemporary community standards.

(b) A cable operator may refuse to transmit any leased access program or portion of a leased access program that the operator reasonably believes contains obscenity, indecency or nudity.

Note to paragraph (b): “Nudity” in paragraph (b) is interpreted to mean nudity that is obscene or indecent.

[62 FR 28373, May 23, 1997, as amended at 64 FR 35950, July 2, 1999]

top

A cable operator may refuse to transmit any public access program or portion of a public access program that the operator reasonably believes contains obscenity.

[62 FR 28373, May 23, 1997]

top

top

(a) MDU. A multiple dwelling unit building (e.g., an apartment building, condominium building or cooperative).

(b) MDU owner. The entity that owns or controls the common areas of a multiple dwelling unit building.

(c) MVPD. A multichannel video programming distributor, as that term is defined in Section 602(13) of the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. 522(13).

(d) Home run wiring. The wiring from the demarcation point to the point at which the MVPD's wiring becomes devoted to an individual subscriber or individual loop.

[62 FR 61031, Nov. 14, 1997]

top

The provisions of this subpart set forth rules and regulations for the disposition, after a subscriber voluntarily terminates cable service, of that cable home wiring installed by the cable system operator or its contractor within the premises of the subscriber. The provisions do not apply where the cable home wiring belongs to the subscriber, such as where the operator has transferred ownership to the subscriber, the operator has been treating the wiring as belonging to the subscriber for tax purposes, or the wiring is considered to be a fixture by state or local law in the subscriber's jurisdiction. Nothing in this subpart shall affect the cable system operator's rights and responsibilities under §76.617 to prevent excessive signal leakage while providing cable service, or the cable operator's right to access the subscriber's property or premises.

[58 FR 11971, Mar. 2, 1993]

top

(a)(1) Upon voluntary termination of cable service by a subscriber in a single unit installation, a cable operator shall not remove the cable home wiring unless it gives the subscriber the opportunity to purchase the wiring at the replacement cost, and the subscriber declines. If the subscriber declines to purchase the cable home wiring, the cable system operator must then remove the cable home wiring within seven days of the subscriber's decision, under normal operating conditions, or make no subsequent attempt to remove it or to restrict its use.

(2) Upon voluntary termination of cable service by an individual subscriber in a multiple-unit installation, a cable operator shall not be entitled to remove the cable home wiring unless: it gives the subscriber the opportunity to purchase the wiring at the replacement cost; the subscriber declines, and neither the MDU owner nor an alternative MVPD, where permitted by the MDU owner, has provided reasonable advance notice to the incumbent provider that it would purchase the cable home wiring pursuant to this section if and when a subscriber declines. If the cable system operator is entitled to remove the cable home wiring, it must then remove the wiring within seven days of the subscriber's decision, under normal operating conditions, or make no subsequent attempt to remove it or to restrict its use.

(3) The cost of the cable home wiring is to be based on the replacement cost per foot of the wiring on the subscriber's side of the demarcation point multiplied by the length in feet of such wiring, and the replacement cost of any passive splitters located on the subscriber's side of the demarcation point.

(b) During the initial telephone call in which a subscriber contacts a cable operator to voluntarily terminate cable service, the cable operator—if it owns and intends to remove the home wiring—must inform the subscriber:

(1) That the cable operator owns the home wiring;

(2) That the cable operator intends to remove the home wiring;

(3) That the subscriber has the right to purchase the home wiring; and

(4) What the per-foot replacement cost and total charge for the wiring would be (the total charge may be based on either the actual length of cable wiring and the actual number of passive splitters on the customer's side of the demarcation point, or a reasonable approximation thereof; in either event, the information necessary for calculating the total charge must be available for use during the initial phone call).

(c) If the subscriber voluntarily terminates cable service in person, the procedures set forth in paragraph (b) of this section apply.

(d) If the subscriber requests termination of cable service in writing, it is the operator's responsibility—if it wishes to remove the wiring—to make reasonable efforts to contact the subscriber prior to the date of service termination and follow the procedures set forth in paragraph (b) of this section.

(e) If the cable operator fails to adhere to the procedures described in paragraph (b) of this section, it will be deemed to have relinquished immediately any and all ownership interests in the home wiring; thus, the operator will not be entitled to compensation for the wiring and shall make no subsequent attempt to remove it or restrict its use.

(f) If the cable operator adheres to the procedures described in paragraph (b) of this section, and, at that point, the subscriber agrees to purchase the wiring, constructive ownership over the home wiring will transfer to the subscriber immediately, and the subscriber will be permitted to authorize a competing service provider to connect with and use the home wiring.

(g) If the cable operator adheres to the procedures described in paragraph (b) of this section, and the subscriber asks for more time to make a decision regarding whether to purchase the home wiring, the seven (7) day period described in paragraph (b) of this section will not begin running until the subscriber declines to purchase the wiring; in addition, the subscriber may not use the wiring to connect to an alternative service provider until the subscriber notifies the operator whether or not the subscriber wishes to purchase the wiring.

(h) If an alternative video programming service provider connects its wiring to the home wiring before the incumbent cable operator has terminated service and has capped off its line to prevent signal leakage, the alternative video programming service provider shall be responsible for ensuring that the incumbent's wiring is properly capped off in accordance with the Commission's signal leakage requirements. See Subpart K (technical standards) of the Commission's Cable Television Service rules (47 CFR 76.605(a)(13) and 76.610 through 76.617).

(i) Where the subscriber terminates cable service but will not be using the home wiring to receive another alternative video programming service, the cable operator shall properly cap off its own line in accordance with the Commission's signal leakage requirements. See Subpart K (technical standards) of the Commission's Cable Television Service rules (47 CFR 76.605(a)(13) and 76.610 through 76.617).

(j) Cable operators are prohibited from using any ownership interests they may have in property located on the subscriber's side of the demarcation point, such as molding or conduit, to prevent, impede, or in any way interfere with, a subscriber's right to use his or her home wiring to receive an alternative service. In addition, incumbent cable operators must take reasonable steps within their control to ensure that an alternative service provider has access to the home wiring at the demarcation point. Cable operators and alternative multichannel video programming delivery service providers are required to minimize the potential for signal leakage in accordance with the guidelines set forth in 47 CFR 76.605(a)(13) and 76.610 through 76.617, theft of service and unnecessary disruption of the consumer's premises.

(k) Definitions—Normal operating conditions—The term “normal operating conditions” shall have the same meaning as at 47 CFR 76.309(c)(4)(ii).

(l) The provisions of §76.802 shall apply to all MVPDs in the same manner that they apply to cable operators.

[61 FR 6137, Feb. 16, 1996, as amended at 62 FR 61031, Nov. 14, 1997; 68 FR 13855, Mar. 21, 2003]

top

(a) Building-by-building disposition of home run wiring. (1) Where an MVPD owns the home run wiring in an MDU and does not (or will not at the conclusion of the notice period) have a legally enforceable right to remain on the premises against the wishes of the MDU owner, the MDU owner may give the MVPD a minimum of 90 days' written notice that its access to the entire building will be terminated to invoke the procedures in this section. The MVPD will then have 30 days to notify the MDU owner in writing of its election for all the home run wiring inside the MDU building: to remove the wiring and restore the MDU building consistent with state law within 30 days of the end of the 90-day notice period or within 30 days of actual service termination, whichever occurs first; to abandon and not disable the wiring at the end of the 90-day notice period; or to sell the wiring to the MDU building owner. If the incumbent provider elects to remove or abandon the wiring, and it intends to terminate service before the end of the 90-day notice period, the incumbent provider shall notify the MDU owner at the time of this election of the date on which it intends to terminate service. If the incumbent provider elects to remove its wiring and restore the building consistent with state law, it must do so within 30 days of the end of the 90-day notice period or within 30 days of actual service termination, which ever occurs first. For purposes of abandonment, passive devices, including splitters, shall be considered part of the home run wiring. The incumbent provider that has elected to abandon its home run wiring may remove its amplifiers or other active devices used in the wiring if an equivalent replacement can easily be reattached. In addition, an incumbent provider removing any active elements shall comply with the notice requirements and other rules regarding the removal of home run wiring. If the MDU owner declines to purchase the home run wiring, the MDU owner may permit an alternative provider that has been authorized to provide service to the MDU to negotiate to purchase the wiring.

(2) If the incumbent provider elects to sell the home run wiring under paragraph (a)(1) of this section, the incumbent and the MDU owner or alternative provider shall have 30 days from the date of election to negotiate a price. If the parties are unable to agree on a price within that 30-day time period, the incumbent must elect: to abandon without disabling the wiring; to remove the wiring and restore the MDU consistent with state law; or to submit the price determination to binding arbitration by an independent expert. If the incumbent provider chooses to abandon or remove its wiring, it must notify the MDU owner at the time of this election if and when it intends to terminate service before the end of the 90-day notice period. If the incumbent service provider elects to abandon its wiring at this point, the abandonment shall become effective at the end of the 90-day notice period or upon service termination, whichever occurs first. If the incumbent elects at this point to remove its wiring and restore the building consistent with state law, it must do so within 30 days of the end of the 90-day notice period or within 30 days of actual service termination, which ever occurs first.

(3) If the incumbent elects to submit to binding arbitration, the parties shall have seven days to agree on an independent expert or to each designate an expert who will pick a third expert within an additional seven days. The independent expert chosen will be required to assess a reasonable price for the home run wiring by the end of the 90-day notice period. If the incumbent elects to submit the matter to binding arbitration and the MDU owner (or the alternative provider) refuses to participate, the incumbent shall have no further obligations under the Commission's home run wiring disposition procedures. If the incumbent fails to comply with any of the deadlines established herein, it shall be deemed to have elected to abandon its home run wiring at the end of the 90-day notice period.

(4) The MDU owner shall be permitted to exercise the rights of individual subscribers under this subsection for purposes of the disposition of the cable home wiring under §76.802. When an MDU owner notifies an incumbent provider under this section that the incumbent provider's access to the entire building will be terminated and that the MDU owner seeks to use the home run wiring for another service, the incumbent provider shall, in accordance with our current home wiring rules: offer to sell to the MDU owner any home wiring within the individual dwelling units that the incumbent provider owns and intends to remove; and provide the MDU owner with the total per-foot replacement cost of such home wiring. This information must be provided to the MDU owner within 30 days of the initial notice that the incumbent's access to the building will be terminated. If the MDU owner declines to purchase the cable home wiring, the MDU owner may allow the alternative provider to purchase the home wiring upon service termination under the terms and conditions of §76.802. If the MDU owner or the alternative provider elects to purchase the home wiring under these rules, it must so notify the incumbent MVPD provider not later than 30 days before the incumbent's termination of access to the building will become effective. If the MDU owner and the alternative provider fail to elect to purchase the home wiring, the incumbent provider must then remove the cable home wiring, under normal operating conditions, within 30 days of actual service termination, or make no subsequent attempt to remove it or to restrict its use.

(5) The parties shall cooperate to avoid disruption in service to subscribers to the extent possible.

(b) Unit-by-unit disposition of home run wiring:

(1) Where an MVPD owns the home run wiring in an MDU and does not (or will not at the conclusion of the notice period) have a legally enforceable right to maintain any particular home run wire dedicated to a particular unit on the premises against the MDU owner's wishes, the MDU owner may permit multiple MVPDs to compete for the right to use the individual home run wires dedicated to each unit in the MDU. The MDU owner must provide at least 60 days' written notice to the incumbent MVPD of the MDU owner's intention to invoke this procedure. The incumbent MVPD will then have 30 days to provide a single written election to the MDU owner as to whether, for each and every one of its home run wires dedicated to a subscriber who chooses an alternative provider's service, the incumbent MVPD will: remove the wiring and restore the MDU building consistent with state law; abandon the wiring without disabling it; or sell the wiring to the MDU owner. If the MDU owner refuses to purchase the home run wiring, the MDU owner may permit the alternative provider to purchase it. If the alternative provider is permitted to purchase the wiring, it will be required to make a similar election within this 30-day period for each home run wire solely dedicated to a subscriber who switches back from the alternative provider to the incumbent MVPD.

(2) If the incumbent provider elects to sell the home run wiring under paragraph (b)(1), the incumbent and the MDU owner or alternative provider shall have 30 days from the date of election to negotiate a price. During this 30-day negotiation period, the parties may arrange for an up-front lump sum payment in lieu of a unit-by-unit payment. If the parties are unable to agree on a price during this 30-day time period, the incumbent must elect: to abandon without disabling the wiring; to remove the wiring and restore the MDU consistent with state law; or to submit the price determination to binding arbitration by an independent expert. If the incumbent elects to submit to binding arbitration, the parties shall have seven days to agree on an independent expert or to each designate an expert who will pick a third expert within an additional seven days. The independent expert chosen will be required to assess a reasonable price for the home run wiring within 14 days. If subscribers wish to switch service providers after the expiration of the 60-day notice period but before the expert issues its price determination, the procedures set forth in paragraph (b)(3) of this section shall be followed, subject to the price established by the arbitrator. If the incumbent elects to submit the matter to binding arbitration and the MDU owner (or the alternative provider) refuses to participate, the incumbent shall have no further obligations under the Commission's home run wiring disposition procedures.

(3) When an MVPD that is currently providing service to a subscriber is notified either orally or in writing that that subscriber wishes to terminate service and that another service provider intends to use the existing home run wire to provide service to that particular subscriber, a provider that has elected to remove its home run wiring pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section will have seven days to remove its home run wiring and restore the building consistent with state law. If the subscriber has requested service termination more than seven days in the future, the seven-day removal period shall begin on the date of actual service termination (and, in any event, shall end no later than seven days after the requested date of termination). If the provider has elected to abandon or sell the wiring pursuant to paragraph (b)(1) or (b)(2) of this section, the abandonment or sale will become effective upon actual service termination or upon the requested date of termination, whichever occurs first. For purposes of abandonment, passive devices, including splitters, shall be considered part of the home run wiring. The incumbent provider may remove its amplifiers or other active devices used in the wiring if an equivalent replacement can easily be reattached. In addition, an incumbent provider removing any active elements shall comply with the notice requirements and other rules regarding the removal of home run wiring. If the incumbent provider intends to terminate service prior to the end of the seven-day period, the incumbent shall inform the party requesting service termination, at the time of such request, of the date on which service will be terminated. The incumbent provider shall make the home run wiring accessible to the alternative provider within the 24-hour period prior to actual service termination.

(4) If the incumbent provider fails to comply with any of the deadlines established herein, the home run wiring shall be considered abandoned, and the incumbent may not prevent the alternative provider from using the home run wiring immediately to provide service. The alternative provider or the MDU owner may act as the subscriber's agent in providing notice of a subscriber's desire to change services, consistent with state law. If a subscriber's service is terminated without notification that another service provider intends to use the existing home run wiring to provide service to that particular subscriber, the incumbent provider will not be required to carry out its election to sell, remove or abandon the home run wiring; the incumbent provider will be required to carry out its election, however, if and when it receives notice that a subscriber wishes to use the home run wiring to receive an alternative service. Section 76.802 of the Commission's rules regarding the disposition of cable home wiring will apply where a subscriber's service is terminated without notifying the incumbent provider that the subscriber wishes to use the home run wiring to receive an alternative service.

(5) The parties shall cooperate to avoid disruption in service to subscribers to the extent possible.

(6) Section 76.802 of the Commission's rules regarding the disposition of cable home wiring will continue to apply to the wiring on the subscriber's side of the cable demarcation point.

(c) The procedures set forth in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this section shall apply unless and until the incumbent provider obtains a court ruling or an injunction within forty-five (45) days following the initial notice enjoining its displacement.

(d) After the effective date of this rule, MVPDs shall include a provision in all service contracts entered into with MDU owners setting forth the disposition of any home run wiring in the MDU upon the termination of the contract.

(e) Incumbents are prohibited from using any ownership interest they may have in property located on or near the home run wiring, such as molding or conduit, to prevent, impede, or in any way interfere with, the ability of an alternative MVPD to use the home run wiring pursuant to this section.

(f) Section 76.804 shall apply to all MVPDs.

[62 FR 61032, Nov. 14, 1997, as amended at 68 FR 13855, Mar. 21, 2003]

top

(a) An MVPD shall be permitted to install one or more home run wires within the existing molding of an MDU where the MDU owner finds that there is sufficient space to permit the installation of the additional wiring without interfering with the ability of an existing MVPD to provide service, and gives its affirmative consent to such installation. This paragraph shall not apply where the incumbent provider has an exclusive contractual right to occupy the molding.

(b) If an MDU owner finds that there is insufficient space in existing molding to permit the installation of the new wiring without interfering with the ability of an existing MVPD to provide service, but gives its affirmative consent to the installation of larger molding and additional wiring, the MDU owner (with or without the assistance of the incumbent and/or the alternative provider) shall be permitted to remove the existing molding, return such molding to the incumbent, if appropriate, and install additional wiring and larger molding in order to contain the additional wiring. This paragraph shall not apply where the incumbent provider possesses a contractual right to maintain its molding on the premises without alteration by the MDU owner.

(c) The alternative provider shall be required to pay any and all installation costs associated with the implementation of paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section, including the costs of restoring the MDU owner's property to its original condition, and the costs of repairing any damage to the incumbent provider's wiring or other property.

[62 FR 61033, Nov. 14, 1997]

top

(a) Prior to termination of service, a customer may: install or provide for the installation of their own cable home wiring; or connect additional home wiring, splitters or other equipment within their premises to the wiring owned by the cable operator, so long as no electronic or physical harm is caused to the cable system and the physical integrity of the cable operator's wiring remains intact.

(b) Cable operators may require that home wiring (including passive splitters, connectors and other equipment used in the installation of home wiring) meets reasonable technical specifications, not to exceed the technical specifications of such equipment installed by the cable operator; provided however, that if electronic or physical harm is caused to the cable system, the cable operator may impose additional technical specifications to eliminate such harm. To the extent a customer's installations or rearrangements of wiring degrade the signal quality of or interfere with other customers' signals, or cause electronic or physical harm to the cable system, the cable operator may discontinue service to that subscriber until the degradation or interference is resolved.

(c) Customers shall not physically cut, substantially alter, improperly terminate or otherwise destroy cable operator-owned home wiring.

(d) Section 76.806 shall apply to all MVPDs.

[62 FR 61034, Nov. 14, 1997, as amended at 68 FR 13855, Mar. 21, 2003]

top

Source:  58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, unless otherwise noted.

Effective Date Note:  The effective date of the amendments to part 76, published at 58 FR 29737 (May 21, 1993), extended to October 1, 1993, by an order published at 58 FR 33560 (June 18, 1993), and moved to September 1, 1993, by an order published at 58 FR 41042 (August 2, 1993), is temporarily stayed for those cable systems that have 1,000 or fewer subscribers. This limited, temporary stay is effective September 1, 1993, and will remain in effect until the Commission terminates the stay and establishes a new effective date in an order on reconsideration addressing the administrative burdens and costs of compliance for small cable systems. The Commission will publish in the Federal Register the new effective date of the rules with respect to small cable systems at that time.

§ 76.901   Definitions.

top

(a) Basic service. The basic service tier shall, at a minimum, include all signals of domestic television broadcast stations provided to any subscriber (except a signal secondarily transmitted by satellite carrier beyond the local service area of such station, regardless of how such signal is ultimately received by the cable system) any public, educational, and governmental programming required by the franchise to be carried on the basic tier, and any additional video programming signals a service added to the basic tier by the cable operator.

(b) Cable programming service. Cable programming service includes any video programming provided over a cable system, regardless of service tier, including installation or rental of equipment used for the receipt of such video programming, other than:

(1) Video programming carried on the basic service tier as defined in this section;

(2) Video programming offered on a pay-per-channel or pay-per-program basis; or

(3) A combination of multiple channels of pay-per-channel or pay-per-program video programming offered on a multiplexed or time-shifted basis so long as the combined service:

(i) Consists of commonly-identified video programming; and

(ii) Is not bundled with any regulated tier of service.

(c) Small system. A small system is a cable television system that serves 15,000 or fewer subscribers. The service area of a small system shall be determined by the number of subscribers that are served by the system's principal headend, including any other headends or microwave receive sites that are technically integrated to the principal headend.

(d) New Product Tier. A new product tier (“NPT”) is a cable programming service tier meeting the conditions set forth in §76.987.

(e) Small cable company. A small cable company is a cable television operator that serves a total of 400,000 or fewer subscribers over one or more cable systems.

(f) Small cable operator. A small cable operator is an operator that, directly or through an affiliate, serves in the aggregate fewer than 1 percent of all subscribers in the United States and is not affiliated with any entity or entities whose gross annual revenues in the aggregate exceed $250,000,000. For purposes of this definition, an operator shall be deemed affiliated with another entity if that entity holds a 20 percent or greater equity interest (not including truly passive investment) in the operator or exercises de jure or de facto control over the operator.

Note 1 to paragraph (f): Using the most reliable sources publicly available, the Commission periodically will determine and give public notice of the subscriber count that will serve as the 1 percent threshold until a new number is calculated.

Note 2 to paragraph (f): For a discussion of passive interests with respect to small cable operators, see Implementation of Cable Act Reform Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Report and Order in CS Docket No. 96–85, FCC 99–57 (released March 29, 1999).

Note 3 to paragraph (f): If two or more entities unaffiliated with each other each hold an equity interest in the small cable operator, the equity interests of the unaffiliated entities will not be aggregated with each other for the purpose of determining whether an entity meets or passes the 20 percent affiliation threshold.

[58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 62623, Dec. 6, 1994; 60 FR 35864, July 12, 1995; 64 FR 35950, July 2, 1999]

top

(a) Only the rates of cable systems that are not subject to effective competition may be regulated.

(b) A cable system is subject to effective competition when any one of the following conditions is met:

(1) Fewer than 30 percent of the households in its franchise area subscribe to the cable service of a cable system.

(2) The franchise area is:

(i) Served by at least two unaffiliated multichannel video programming distributors each of which offers comparable programming to at least 50 percent of the households in the franchise area; and

(ii) the number of households subscribing to multichannel video programming other than the largest multichannel video programming distributor exceeds 15 percent of the households in the franchise area.

(3) A multichannel video programming distributor, operated by the franchising authority for that franchise area, offers video programming to at least 50 percent of the households in the franchise area.

(4) A local exchange carrier or its affiliate (or any multichannel video programming distributor using the facilities of such carrier or its affiliate) offers video programming services directly to subscribers by any means (other than direct-to-home satellite services) in the franchise area of an unaffiliated cable operator which is providing cable service in that franchise area, but only if the video programming services so offered in that area are comparable to the video programming services provided by the unaffiliated cable operator in that area.

(c) For purposes of paragraphs (b)(1) through (b)(3) of this section, each separately billed or billable customer will count as a household subscribing to or being offered video programming services, with the exception of multiple dwelling buildings billed as a single customer. Individual units of multiple dwelling buildings will count as separate households. The term “households” shall not include those dwellings that are used solely for seasonal, occasional, or recreational use.

(d) A multichannel video program distributor, for purposes of this section, is an entity such as, but not limited to, a cable operator, a BRS/EBS provider, a direct broadcast satellite service, a television receive-only satellite program distributor, a video dialtone service provider, or a satellite master antenna television service provider that makes available for purchase, by subscribers or customers, multiple channels of video programming.

(e) Service of a multichannel video programming distributor will be deemed offered:

(1) When the multichannel video programming distributor is physically able to deliver service to potential subscribers, with the addition of no or only minimal additional investment by the distributor, in order for an individual subscriber to receive service; and

(2) When no regulatory, technical or other impediments to households taking service exist, and potential subscribers in the franchise area are reasonably aware that they may purchase the services of the multichannel video programming distributor.

(f) For purposes of determining the number of households subscribing to the services of a multichannel video programming distributor other than the largest multichannel video programming distributor, under paragraph (b)(2)(ii) of this section, the number of subscribers of all multichannel video programming distributors that offer service in the franchise area will be aggregated.

(g) In order to offer comparable programming as that term is used in this section, a competing multichannel video programming distributor must offer at least 12 channels of video programming, including at least one channel of nonbroadcast service programming.

(h) For purposes of paragraph (b)(2) of this section, entities are affiliated if either entity has an attributable interest in the other or if a third party has an attributable interest in both entities. Attributable interest shall be defined by reference to the criteria set forth in Notes 1 through 5 to §76.501.

(i) For purposes of paragraph (b)(4) of this section, entities are affiliated if either entity has an attributable interest in the other or if a third party has an attributable interest in both entities. Attributable interest shall be defined as follows:

(1) A 10% partnership or voting equity interest in a corporation will be cognizable.

(2) Subject to paragraph (i)(3), a limited partnership interest of 10% or more shall be attributed to a limited partner unless that partner is not materially involved, directly or indirectly, in the management or operation of the media-related activities of the partnership and the relevant entity so certifies. An interest in a Limited Liability Company (“LLC”) or Registered Limited Liability Partnership (“RLLP”) shall be attributed to the interest holder unless that interest holder is not materially involved, directly or indirectly, in the management or operation of the media-related activities of the partnership and the relevant entity so certifies. Certifications must be made pursuant to the guidelines set forth in Note 2(f) to §76.501.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (i)(2), the holder of an equity or debt interest or interests in an entity covered by this rule shall have that interest attributed if the equity (including all stockholdings, whether voting or nonvoting, common or preferred, and partnership interests) and debt interest or interests, in the aggregate, exceed 33 percent of the total asset value (all equity plus all debt) of that entity.

(4) Discrete ownership interests held by the same individual or entity will be aggregated in determining whether or not an interest is cognizable under this section. An individual or entity will be deemed to have a cognizable investment if the sum of the interests other than those held by or through “passive investors” is equal to or exceeds 10%.

[58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 17972, Apr. 15, 1994; 61 FR 18978, Apr. 30, 1996; 62 FR 6495, Feb. 12, 1997; 64 FR 35950, July 2, 1999; 64 FR 67196, Dec. 1, 1999; 69 FR 72046, Dec. 10, 2004]

top

In the absence of a demonstration to the contrary, cable systems are presumed not to be subject to effective competition.

top

(a) A cable operator (or other interested party) may file a petition for a determination of effective competition with the Commission pursuant to the Commission's procedural rules in §76.7.

(b) The cable operator bears the burden of rebutting the presumption that effective competition does not exist with evidence that effective competition, as defined in §76.905, exists in the franchise area.

Note to paragraph (b): The criteria for determining effective competition pursuant to §76.905(b)(4) are described in Implementation of Cable Act Reform Provisions of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Report and Order in CS Docket No. 96–85, FCC 99–57 (released March 29, 1999).

(c) If the evidence establishing effective competition is not otherwise available, cable operators may request from a competitor information regarding the competitor's reach and number of subscribers. A competitor must respond to such request within 15 days. Such responses may be limited to numerical totals. In addition, with respect to petitions filed seeking to demonstrate the presence of effective competition pursuant to §76.905(b)(4), the Commission may issue an order directing one or more persons to produce information relevant to the petition's disposition.

[64 FR 35950, July 2, 1999]

top

(a) A franchising authority must be certified by the Commission in order to regulate the basic service tier and associated equipment of a cable system within its jurisdiction.

(b) To be certified, the franchising authority must file with the Commission a written certification that:

(1) The franchising authority will adopt and administer regulations with respect to the rates for the basic service tier that are consistent with the regulations prescribed by the Commission for regulation of the basic service tier;

(2) The franchising authority has the legal authority to adopt, and the personnel to administer, such regulations;

(3) Procedural laws and regulations applicable to rate regulation proceedings by such authority provide a reasonable opportunity for consideration of the views of interested parties; and

(4) The cable system in question is not subject to effective competition. Unless a franchising authority has actual knowledge to the contrary, the franchising authority may rely on the presumption in §76.906 that the cable operator is not subject to effective competition.

(c) The written certification described in paragraph (b) of this section shall be made by filing the FCC form designated for that purpose. The form must be filed by

(1) Registered mail, return receipt requested, or

(2) Hand-delivery to the Commission and a date-stamped copy obtained. The date on the return receipt or on the date-stamped copy is the date filed.

(d) A copy of the certification form described in paragraph (c) of this section must be served on the cable operator before or on the same day it is filed with the Commission.

(e) Unless the Commission notifies the franchising authority otherwise, the certification will become effective 30 days after the date filed, provided, however, That the franchising authority may not regulate the rates of a cable system unless it:

(1) Adopts regulations:

(i) Consistent with the Commission's regulations governing the basic tier; and

(ii) Providing a reasonable opportunity for consideration of the views of interested parties, within 120 days of the effective date of certification; and

(2) Notifies the cable operator that the authority has been certified and has adopted the regulations required by paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

(f) If the Commission denies a franchising authority's certification, the Commission will notify the franchising authority of any revisions or modifications necessary to obtain approval.

top

(a) A cable operator (or other interested party) may challenge a franchising authority's certification by filing a petition for reconsideration pursuant to §1.106. The petition may allege either of the following:

(1) The cable operator is not subject to rate regulation because effective competition exists as defined in §76.905. Sections 76.907(b) and (c) apply to petitions filed under this section.

(2) The franchising authority does not meet the certification standards set forth in 47 U.S.C. 543(a)(3).

(b) Stay of rate regulation. (1) The filing of a petition for reconsideration pursuant to paragraph (a)(1) of this section will automatically stay the imposition of rate regulation pending the outcome of the reconsideration proceeding.

(2) A petitioner filing pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section may request a stay of rate regulation.

(3) In any case in which a stay of rate regulation has been granted, if the petition for reconsideration is denied, the cable operator may be required to refund any rates or portion of rates above the permitted tier charge or permitted equipment charge which were collected from the date the operator implements a prospective rate reduction back in time to September 1, 1993, or one year, whichever is shorter.

(c) The filing of a petition for reconsideration alleging the presence of effective competition based on frivolous grounds is prohibited, and may be subject to forfeitures.

(d) If the Commission upholds a challenge to a certification filed pursuant to paragraph (a)(2) of this section, the Commission will notify the franchising authority of the revisions necessary to secure approval and provide the authority an opportunity to amend its certification however necessary to secure approval. Provided, however, That pending approval of certification, the Commission will assume jurisdiction over basic cable service rates in that franchise area.

[58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, as amended at 58 FR 46735, Sept. 2, 1993; 64 FR 35950, July 2, 1999]

top

(a) Franchising authorities may apply for joint certification and may engage in joint regulation, including, but not limited to, joint hearings, data collection, and ratemaking. Franchising authorities jointly certified to regulate their cable system(s) may make independent rate decisions.

(b) Franchising authorities may apply for joint certification regardless of whether the authorities are served by the same cable system or by different cable systems and regardless of whether the rates in each franchising area are uniform.

top

(a) Upon denial or revocation of the franchising authority's certification, the Commission will regulate rates for cable services and associated equipment of a cable system not subject to effective competition, as defined in §76.905, in a franchise area. Such regulation by the Commission will continue until the franchising authority has obtained certification or recertification.

(b) A franchising authority unable to meet certification standards may petition the Commission to regulate the rates for basic cable service and associated equipment of its franchisee when:

(1) The franchising authority lacks the resources to administer rate regulation.

(2) The franchising authority lacks the legal authority to regulate basic service rates; Provided, however, That the authority must submit with its request a statement detailing the nature of the legal infirmity.

(c) The Commission will regulate basic service rates pursuant to this Section until the franchising authority qualifies to exercise jurisdiction pursuant to §76.916.

[58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, as amended at 62 FR 6495, Feb. 12, 1997]

Effective Date Note:  At 62 FR 6495, Feb. 12, 1997, in §76.913, paragraph (b)(1) was revised. This amendment contains information collection and recordkeeping requirements and will not become effective until approval has been given by the Office of Management and Budget.

§ 76.914   Revocation of certification.

top

(a) A franchising authority's certification shall be revoked if:

(1) After the franchising authority has been given a reasonable opportunity to comment and cure any minor nonconformance, it is determined that state and local laws and regulations are in substantial and material conflict with the Commission's regulations governing cable rates.

(2) After being given an opportunity to cure the defect, a franchising authority fails to fulfill one of the three conditions for certification, set forth in 47 U.S.C. 543(a)(3), or any of the provisions of §76.910(b).

(b) In all cases of revocation, the Commission will assume jurisdiction over basic service rates until an authority becomes recertified. The Commission will also notify the franchising authority regarding the corrective action that may be taken.

(c) A cable operator may file a petition for special relief pursuant to §76.7 of this part seeking revocation of a franchising authority's certification.

(d) While a petition for revocation is pending, and absent grant of a stay, the franchising authority may continue to regulate the basic service rates of its franchisees.

[58 FR 29753, May 21, 1993, as amended at 59 FR 17972, Apr. 15, 1994; 64 FR 6572, Feb. 10, 1999]

top

(a) After its request for certification has been denied or its existing certification has been revoked, a franchising authority wishing to assume jurisdiction to regulate basic service and associated equipment rates must file a “Petition for Recertification” accompanied by a copy of the earlier decision denying or revoking certification.

(b) The petition must:

(1) Meet the requirements set forth in 47 U.S.C. 543(a)(3);

(2) State that the cable system is not subject to effective competition; and

(3) Contain a clear showing, supported by either objectively verifiable data such as a state statute, or by affidavit, that the reasons for the earlier denial or revocation no longer pertain.

(c) The petition must be served on the cable operator and on any interested party that participated in the proceeding denying or revoking the original certification.

(d) Oppositions may be filed within 15 days after the petition is filed, and must be served on the petitioner. Replies may be filed within seven days of filing of oppositions, and must be served on the opposing party(ies).

top

A franchising authority that has been certified to regulate rates may, at any time, notify the Commission that it no longer intends to regulate basic cable rates. Such notification shall include the franchising authority's determination that rate regulation no longer serves the interests of cable subscribers served by the cable system within the franchising authority's jurisdiction, and that it has received no consideration for its withdrawal of certification. Such notification shall be served on the cable operator. The Commission retains the right to review such determinations and to request the factual finding of the franchising authority underlying its decision to withdraw certification. The franchising authority's withdrawal becomes effective upon notification to the Commission.

[59 FR 17972, Apr. 15, 1994]

top

Every subscriber of a cable system must subscribe to the basic tier in order to subscribe to any other tier of video programming or to purchase any other video programming.

top

(a) No cable system operator, other than an operator subject to effective competition, may require the subscription to any tier other than the basic service tier as a condition of subscription to video programming offered on a per channel or per program charge basis. A cable operator may, however, require the subscription to one or more tiers of cable programming services as a condition of access to one or more tiers of cable programming services.

(b) A cable operator not subject to effective competition may not discriminate between subscribers to the basic service tier and other subscribers with regard to the rates charged for video programming offered on a per-channel or per-program charge basis.

(c) With respect to cable systems not subject to effective competition, prior to October 5, 2002, the provisions of paragraph (a) of this section shall not apply to any cable system that lacks the capacity to offer basic service and all programming distributed on a per channel or per program basis without also providing other intermediate tiers of service:

(1) By controlling subscriber access to nonbasic channels of service through addressable equipment electronically controlled from a central control point; or

(2) Through the installation, noninstallation, or removal of frequency filters (traps) at the premises of subscribers without other alteration in system configuration or design and without causing degradation in the technical quality of service provided.

(d) With respect to cable systems not subject to effective competition, any retiering of channels or services that is not undertaken in order to accomplish legitimate regulatory, technical, or customer service objectives and that is intended to frustrate or has the effect of frustrating compliance with paragraphs (a) through (c) of this section is prohibited.

[62 FR 6495, Feb. 12, 1997]

top

(a) Basic and cable programming service tier rates. Basic service tier and cable programming service rates shall be subject to regulation by the Commission and by state and local authorities, as is appropriate, in order to assure that they are in compliance with the requirements of 47 U.S.C. 543. Rates that are demonstrated, in accordance with this part, not to exceed the “Initial Permitted Per Channel Charge” or the “Subsequent Permitted Per Channel Charge” as described in this section, or the equipment charges as specified in §76.923, will be accepted as in compliance. The maximum monthly charge per subscriber for a tier of regulated programming services offered by a cable system shall consist of a permitted per channel charge multiplied by the number of channels on the tier, plus a charge for franchise fees. The maximum monthly charges for regulated programming services shall not include any charges for equipment or installations. Charges for equipment and installations are to be calculated separately pursuant to §76.923. The same rate-making methodology (either the benchmark methodology found in paragraph (b) of this section, or a cost-of-service showing) shall be used to set initial rates on all rate regulated tiers, and shall continue to provide the basis for subsequent permitted charges.

(b) Permitted charge on May 15, 1994. (1) The permitted charge for a tier of regulated program service shall be, at the election of the cable system, either:

(i) A rate determined pursuant to a cost-of-service showing;

(ii) The full reduction rate;

(iii) The transition rate, if the system is eligible for transition relief; or

(iv) A rate based on a streamlined rate reduction, if the system is eligible to implement such a rate reduction. Except where noted, the term “rate” in this subsection means a rate measured on an average regulated revenue per subscriber basis.

(2) Full reduction rate. The “full reduction rate” on May 15, 1994 is the system's September 30, 1992 rate, measured on an average regulated revenue per subscriber basis, reduced by 17 percent, and then adjusted for the following:

(i) The establishment of permitted equipment rates as required by §76.923;

(ii) Inflation measured by the GNP-PI between October 1, 1992 and September 30, 1993;

(iii) Changes in the number of program channels subject to regulation that are offered on the system's program tiers between September 30, 1992 and the earlier of the initial date of regulation for any tier or February 28, 1994; and

(iv) Changes in external costs that have occurred between the earlier of the initial date of regulation for any tier or February 28, 1994, and March 31, 1994.

(3) March 31, 1994 benchmark rate. The “March 31, 1994 benchmark rate” is the rate so designated using the calculations in Form 1200.

(4) Transition rates—(i) Termination of transition relief for systems other than low price systems. Systems other than low-price systems that already have established a transition rate as of the effective date of this rule may maintain their current rates, as adjusted under the price cap requirements of §76.922(d), until two years from the effective date of this rule. These systems must begin charging reasonable rates in accordance with applicable rules, other than transition relief, no later than that date.

(ii) Low-price systems. Low price systems shall be eligible to establish a transition rate for a tier.

(A) A low-price system is a system:

(1) Whose March 31, 1994 rate is below its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, or

(2) Whose March 31, 1994 rate is above its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, but whose March 31, 1994 full reduction rate is below its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, as defined in §76.922(b)(2), above.

(B) The transition rate on May 15, 1994 for a system whose March 31, 1994 rate is below its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate is the system's March 31, 1994 rate. The March 31, 1994 rate is in both cases adjusted:

(1) To establish permitted rates for equipment as required by §76.923 if such rates have not already been established; and

(2) For changes in external costs incurred between the earlier of initial date of regulation of any tier or February 28, 1994, and March 31, 1994, to the extent changes in such costs are not already reflected in the system's March 31, 1994 rate. The transition rate on May 15, 1994 for a system whose March 31, 1994 adjusted rate is above its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, but whose March 31, 1994 full reduction rate is below its March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, is the March 31, 1994 benchmark rate, adjusted to establish permitted rates for equipment as required by §76.923 if such rates have not already been established.

(iii) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the transition rate for a tier shall be adjusted to reflect any determination by a local franchising authority and/or the Commission that the rate in effect on March 31, 1994 was higher (or lower) than that permitted under applicable Commission regulations. A filing reflecting the adjusted rate shall be submitted to all relevant authorities within 30 days after issuance of the local franchising authority and/or Commission determination. A system whose March 31, 1994 rate is determined by a local franchising authority or the Commission to be too high under the Commission's rate regulations in effect before May 15, 1994 will be subject to any refund liability that may accrue under those rules. In addition, the system will be liable for refund liability under the rules in effect on and after May 15, 1994. Such refund liability will be measured by the difference in the system's March 31, 1994 rate and its permitted March 31, 1994 rate as calculated under the Commission's rate regulations in effect before May 15, 1994. The refund liability will accrue according to the time periods set forth in §§76.942, and 76.961 of the Commission's rules.

(5) Streamlined rate reductions. (i) Upon becoming subject to rate regulation, a small system owned by a small cable company may make a streamlined rate reduction, subject to the following conditions, in lieu of establishing initial rates pursuant to the other methods of rate regulation set forth in this subpart:

(A) Small systems that are owned by small cable companies and that have not already restructured their rates to comply with the Commission's rules may establish rates for regulated program services and equipment by making a streamlined rate reduction. Small systems owned by small cable companies shall not be eligible for streamlined rate reductions if they are owned or controlled by, or are under common control or affiliated with, a cable operator that exceeds these subscriber limits. For purposes of this rule, a small system will be considered “affiliated with” such an operator if the operator has a 20 percent or greater equity interest in the small system.

(B) The streamlined rate for a tier on May 15, 1994 shall be the system's March 31, 1994 rate for the tier, reduced by 14 percent. A small system that elects to establish its rate for a tier by implementing this streamlined rate reduction must also reduce, at the same time, each billed item of regulated cable service, including equipment, by 14 percent. Regulated rates established using the streamlined rate reduction process shall remain in effect until:

(1) Adoption of a further order by the Commission establishing a schedule of average equipment costs;

(2) The system increases its rates using the calculations and time periods set forth in FCC Form 1211; or

(3) The system elects to establish permitted rates under another available option set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(C) Implementation and notification. An eligible small system that elects to use the streamlined rate reduction process must implement the required rate reductions and provide written notice of such reductions to subscribers, the local franchising authority and the Commission according to the following schedule:

(1) Within 60 days from the date it receives the initial notice of regulation from the franchising authority or the Commission, the small system must provide written notice to subscribers and the franchising authority, or to the Commission if the Commission is regulating the basic tier, that it is electing to set its regulated rates by the streamlined rate reduction process. The system must then implement the streamlined rate reductions within 30 days after the written notification has been provided to subscribers and the local franchise authority or Commission.

(2) If a cable programming services complaint is filed against the system, the system must provide the required written notice, described in paragraph (b)(5)(iii)(C)(1) of this section, to subscribers, the local franchising authority or the Commission within 60 days after the complaint is filed. The system must then implement the streamlined rate reductions within 30 days after the written notification has been provided.

(3) A small system is required to give written notice of, and to implement, the rates that are produced by the streamlined rate reduction process only once. If a system has already provided notice of, and implemented, the streamlined rate reductions when a given tier becomes subject to regulation, it must report to the relevant regulator (either the franchising authority or the Commission) in writing within 30 days of becoming subject to regulation that it has already provided the required notice and implemented the required rate reductions.

(ii) The stremlined rate for a tier on May 15, 1994 shall be the system's March 31, 1994 rate for the tier, reduced by 14 percent. A small system that elects to establish its rate for a tier by implementing this streamlined rate reduction must also reduce, at the same time, each billed item of regulated cable service, including equipment, by 14 percent. Regulated rates established using the streamlined rate reduction process shall remain in effect until:

(A) Adoption of a further order by the Commission establishing a schedule of average equipment costs;

(B) The system increases its rates using the calculations and time periods set forth in FCC Form 1211; or

(C) The system elects to establish permitted rates under another available option set forth in paragraph (b)(1) of this section.

(iii) Implementation and notification. An eligible small system that elects to use the streamlined rate reduction process must implement the required rate reductions and provide written notice of such reductions to subscribers, the local franchising authority and the Commission according to the following schedule:

(A) Where the franchising authority has been certified by the Commission to regulate the small system's basic service tier rates as of May 15, 1994, the system must notify the franchising authority and its subscribers in writing that it is electing to set its regulated rates by the streamline rate reduction process. Such notice must be given by June 15, 1994, and must also describe the new rates that will result from the streamlined rate reduction process. Those rates must then be implemented within 30 days after the written notification has been provided to sub