47 CFR Part 76 - MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to adopt rules that prohibit certain practices some multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs) use in their negotiations for carriage of video programming that may impede competition, diversity, and innovation in the video marketplace. Specifically, the document proposes to prohibit the inclusion of “unconditional” most favored nation (MFN) provisions and unreasonable alternative distribution method (ADM) provisions in program carriage agreements between MVPDs and independent video programming vendors.

This document seeks comment on the proposal set forth by the Media Bureau, in consultation with the Incentive Auction Task Force, the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, and the Office of Engineering and Technology, for developing a post-incentive auction transition scheduling plan. In preparing their submissions commenters should be mindful of the Commission's prohibited communications rule, which prohibits broadcasters and forward auction applicants from communicating any incentive auction applicant's bids or bidding strategies to other parties covered by the relevant rules.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) proposes to eliminate two public inspection file requirements—the requirement that commercial broadcast stations retain in their public inspection file copies of letters and emails from the public and the requirement that cable operators maintain for public inspection the designation and location of the cable system's principal headend. Because of potential privacy concerns associated with putting the correspondence file online and because many cable operators prefer not to post online the location of their principal headend for security reasons, removing these requirements would enable commercial broadcasters and cable operators to make their entire public inspection file available online and obviate also maintaining a local public file. Eliminating these public file requirements thus would reduce the regulatory burdens on commercial broadcasters and cable operators.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Report and Order, Expansion of Online Public File Obligations To Cable and Satellite TV Operators and Broadcast and Satellite Radio Licensees. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules.

This document seeks comment on a petition for declaratory ruling filed by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association and American Cable Association seeking a declaratory ruling clarifying the “written information” requirement of section 76.1602(b) of the Commission's rules. Specifically, NCTA and ACA “seek a ruling that electronic dissemination by email to subscribers for whom a cable operator has a confirmed email address, by the provision of appropriately-noticed links to Web sites, or by other electronic measures reasonably calculated to reach individual customers, satisfies the requirement if the information is also available in print upon customer request.”

In this document, the Commission expand the list of entities that will be required to post their public inspection files to the FCC's online database. In 2012, the Commission adopted online public file rules that required broadcast television stations to post public file documents to a central, FCC-hosted online database rather than maintaining paper files locally at their main studios. Our goals were to modernize the procedures television broadcasters use to inform the public about how they are serving their communities, to make information concerning broadcast service more accessible to the public, and, over time, to reduce the cost of broadcasters' compliance. This final rule document continues our modernization effort by expanding the online file to other media entities to extend the benefits of improved public access to public inspection files and, ultimately, reduce the burden of maintaining these files.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's Report and Order, Television Market Modification; Statutory Implementation. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the rules.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (Commission) announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection requirements associated with the Commission's Report and Order, MB Docket No. 15-53, FCC 15-62. This document is consistent with the Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing OMB approval and the effective date of the requirements.

The Federal Communications Commission (the Commission) acts to improve the Commission's efficiency, effectively manage Commission resources, and align the Commission's field enforcement activities with contemporary needs for a field enforcement presence. The Commission, the Office of Managing Director and the Enforcement Bureau will take several actions to realign the mission and resources of its 24 field offices. The Bureau's field offices will primarily support the enforcement of the Commission's radio frequency spectrum rules and other key regulations in a manner likely to have the greatest impact, in the most cost effective way possible.

In this document, the Commission improves and expedites the Effective Competition process by adopting a rebuttable presumption that cable operators are subject to Competing Provider Effective Competition. This action implements section 111 of the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, which directs the Commission to adopt a streamlined Effective Competition process for small cable operators.

The Federal Communications Commission (Commission) adopts a proposal filed jointly by the American Cable Association and the National Association of Broadcasters that modifies and extends the exemption from the requirement to carry high definition (“HD”) broadcast signals under “material degradation” provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“the Act”) that the Commission granted to certain small cable systems in 2012 (“HD carriage exemption”).

In this document, the Commission proposes satellite television market modification rules to implement section 102 of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act (STELA) Reauthorization Act of 2014 (“STELAR”). The STELAR amended the Communications Act and the Copyright Act to give the Commission authority to modify a commercial television broadcast station's local television market for purposes of satellite carriage rights. In this document, the Commission proposes to revise the current cable market modification rule to apply also to satellite carriage, while adding provisions to address the unique nature of satellite television service. The document also proposes to make conforming changes to the cable market modification rules and considers whether to make any other changes to the current market modification rules.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on a Petition for Rulemaking filed by the American Cable Association (“ACA”) requesting, among other things, that the Commission extend for an additional three years the exemption from the requirement to carry high definition (“HD”) broadcast signals under the “material degradation” provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“the Act”) that it granted to certain small cable systems in the 2012 Fifth Report and Order. This exemption is slated to expire on June 12, 2015 absent further action by the Commission. We tentatively conclude that the public interest would be served by extending the HD carriage exemption for three years, or until June 12, 2018.

In this document, the Commission asks whether it should adopt a rebuttable presumption that cable operators are subject to effective competition. A franchising authority is permitted to regulate basic cable rates only if the cable system is not subject to effective competition. This proceeding will also implement section 111 of the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014, which directs the Commission to adopt a streamlined effective competition process for small cable operators.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission (“Commission” or “we”) respond to Petitions for Reconsideration of the Second Report and Order, interpreting Section 621 of the Communications Act of 1934, which deals with local franchising of cable companies. We clarify the applicability of the Second Report and Order in states that have state-level franchising, grant the request that we reconsider our Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis to align with the text of the Second Report and Order, and deny the petitions in all other respects.

The Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) amends its rules to implement certain provisions of the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014. Collectively, those provisions: Extend to January 1, 2020 the good faith negotiation requirements applicable to multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) and television broadcast stations, and the exclusive contract prohibition applicable to such broadcast stations; prohibit same-market television broadcast stations from coordinating negotiations or negotiating on a joint basis for retransmission consent except under certain conditions; prohibit a television broadcast station from limiting the ability of an MVPD to carry into its local market television signals that are deemed “significantly viewed” or that otherwise are permitted to be carried by the MVPD, with certain exceptions; and eliminate the “sweeps prohibition” in the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (“the Act”).

In this document, the Commission proposes to expand to cable operators, satellite TV providers, broadcast radio licensees, and satellite radio licensees the requirement that public inspection files be posted to the FCC's online database. In 2012, the Commission adopted online public file rules for broadcast television stations that required them to post public file documents to a central, FCC-hosted online database rather than maintaining the files locally at their main studios. Now that television broadcasters have completed their transition to the online file, the Commission believes it is appropriate to commence the process of expanding the online file to other media entities to extend the benefits of improved public access to public inspection files and, ultimately, reduce the burden of maintaining these files.

In this document, the Office of the Managing Director (OMD) makes nonsubstantive, editorial revisions to correct outdated cross-references in the Federal Communications Commission's Open Video System (OVS) rules.

In this document, the Commission propose new rules designed to better reflect the fact that video services are being provided increasingly over the Internet. Specifically, we propose to modernize our interpretation of the term “multichannel video programming distributor” (“MVPD”) by including within its scope services that make available for purchase, by subscribers or customers, multiple linear streams of video programming, regardless of the technology used to distribute the programming. Such an approach will ensure both that incumbent providers will continue to be subject to the pro-competitive, consumer-focused regulations that apply to MVPDs as they transition their services to the Internet and that nascent, Internet-based video programming services will have access to the tools they need to compete with established providers.

In this document, the Commission eliminates the sports blackout rules for cable operators, satellite carriers, and open video systems. Elimination of the sports blackout rules will remove unnecessary and outdated regulations and remove regulatory reinforcement (and the Commission's implicit endorsement) of the NFL's private blackout policy, which deprives consumers of the ability to view on television the teams that they have subsidized through publicly-funded stadiums and other tax benefits. Elimination of the sports blackout rules may not end all sports blackouts. To the extent that the NFL (or any other sports league) chooses to continue its private blackout policy, it will no longer entitled to the protections of the sports blackout rules. Instead, it must rely on the same avenues available to any other entity that wishes to protect its distribution rights in the private marketplace.

In this document, the Commission makes minor changes to the rules that restrict the volume of television commercials. Specifically, as required by the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, the Commission incorporates by reference into the Commission's rules the Advanced Television Systems Committee's (ATSC) March 12, 2013 A/85:2013 Recommended Practice (RP) (Successor RP), replacing the July 25, 2011 A/85:2011 Recommended Practice (Current RP), incorporated into the Commission's rules in 2011. The Successor RP will become mandatory on June 4, 2015. The 2013 Successor RP applies an improved loudness measurement algorithm to conform to the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) updated BS.1770 measurement algorithm, “BS.1770-3.”

The Federal Communications Commission (“Commission”) adopts a rule providing that it is a violation of the duty to negotiate retransmission consent in good faith for a television broadcast station that is ranked among the top four stations as measured by audience share to negotiate retransmission consent jointly with another such station, if the stations are not commonly owned and serve the same geographic market. The rule is intended to promote competition among Top Four broadcast stations for carriage of their signals by multichannel video programming distributors and facilitate the fair and effective completion of retransmission consent negotiations.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether to eliminate or modify the network non-duplication and syndicated exclusivity rules in light of changes in the video marketplace in the more than 40 years since these rules were adopted. The Commission seeks comment on whether the exclusivity rules are still needed to protect broadcasters' ability to compete in the video marketplace and to ensure that program suppliers have sufficient incentives to develop new and diverse programming and on the impact of eliminating of the exclusivity rules.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on its proposal to eliminate the sports blackout rules. Elimination of the sports blackout rules alone likely would not end sports blackouts, but it would leave sports carriage issues to private solutions negotiated by the interested parties in light of current market conditions and eliminate unnecessary regulation.

In this document, the Commission proposes minor rule changes to incorporate by reference into the Commission's rules and make mandatory the Advanced Television Systems Committee's (ATSC) March 12, 2013 A/85:2013 Recommended Practice (Successor RP), replacing the July 25, 2011 A/85:2011 RP (Current RP), incorporated into the Commission's rules in 2011. The Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act directs the Commission to incorporate by reference and make mandatory “any successor” to the ATSC's A/85 Recommended Practice (RP). This document also seeks comment on the appropriate timing for the 2013 Successor RP to replace the 2011 Current RP, and proposes an effective date of one year from the release date of the Report and Order resulting from this proceeding. The 2013 Successor RP applies an improved loudness measurement algorithm to conform to the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) updated BS.1770 measurement algorithm, “BS.1770-3.”

This document corrects a final rule; clarification document published at 78 FR 12967 on February 26, 2013. This document corrects several references in the rule to read “47 CFR 76.922(i)(6)(ii) through (viii).”

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is making a technical amendment to correct a final rule that appeared in the Federal Register of February 28, 2008. The document revised rules concerning Leased Commercial Access. Some of the revised rules contained information collections that required approval by OMB. Some other revised rules were held in abeyance pending OMB approval. Finally, some rule revisions were effective without OMB approval. The entire order, FCC 07-208, was judicially stayed pending judicial review, which is being held in abeyance, and no rule revisions have become effective. Therefore, the previously published rules are still in effect. This document makes a technical amendment so that the rules that are published in the Federal Register reflect the Leased Commercial Access rules that have remained in effect continuously and are currently still in effect.

The Federal Communications Commission published requirements related to Establishment of Class A TV Service and Cable Television Rate Regulation; Cost of Service Rules, which were determined to contain information collection requirements that were subject to OMB review. After further review, we have found OMB approval is not required. This document intends to provide clarification that these rules are effective and that it has been determined that these provisions are not subject to OMB review.

The Media Bureau extends the deadline for filing comments and reply comments on the Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ FNPRM” ) in this proceeding which was published in the Federal Register on October 31, 2012. The extension will provide commenters with sufficient time to prepare comments and reply comments in response to the FNPRM.

In this document, the Commission adopts new rules to allow cable operators to encrypt the basic service tier in all-digital systems, provided that those cable operators undertake certain consumer protection measures for a limited period of time in order to minimize any potential subscriber disruption.

In this document, the Federal Communications Commission proposes to update technical and operational rules related to cable television systems and other multichannel video programming distributors that operate coaxial cable systems. The Commission seeks comments on rules that would update its minimum signal quality standards and signal leakage detection and monitoring for digital transmission. Additionally, the Commission proposes numerous corrections and updates to its to its cable television technical rules.

In this document, a Petition for Reconsideration (Petition) has been filed in the Commission's Rulemaking proceeding by the National Cable & Telecommunications Association (“NCTA”).

In this document, the Commission adopts rules to implement the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (“CALM”) Act. Among other things, the CALM Act directs the Commission to incorporate into its rules by reference and make mandatory a technical standard, developed by an industry standards development body, that is designed to prevent digital television commercial advertisements from being transmitted at louder volumes than the program material they accompany. As mandated by the statute, the rules apply to digital TV broadcasters, digital cable operators, and other digital multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”). Also per the statute, the rules will take effect one year after adoption, and will therefore be effective as of December 13, 2012. The rules adopted are designed to protect viewers from excessively loud commercials and, at the same time, permit broadcasters and MVPDs to implement their obligations in a minimally burdensome manner. The Commission will require broadcast stations and MVPDs to ensure that all commercials are transmitted to consumers at the appropriate loudness level in accordance with the industry standard.

In this document, the Commission finds it in the public interest to allow the viewability rule to sunset as scheduled. The Commission reinterprets the statutory viewability requirement to permit cable operators to require the use of set-top equipment to view must-carry signals, provided that such equipment is both available and affordable (or provided at no cost). The Commission establishes a transitional period of six months after expiration of the current rule during which hybrid systems will be required to continue to carry the signals of must-carry stations in analog format to all analog cable subscribers. The Commission also concludes that the small-system HD carriage exemption continues to serve the public interest and extends the existing exemption for three more years.

In the Report and Order, the Commission takes preliminary steps toward making a portion of the UHF and VHF frequency bands currently used by the broadcast television service available for new uses as required under the recently enacted Spectrum Act, while also preserving the integrity of the television broadcast service.

In this document, the Commission seeks comment on whether to retain, sunset, or relax one of the several protections afforded to multichannel video programming distributors by the program access rules—the prohibition on exclusive contracts involving satellite-delivered, cable-affiliated programming. The current exclusive contract prohibition is scheduled to expire on October 5, 2012. The Commission also seeks comment on potential revisions to its program access rules to better address alleged violations, including potentially discriminatory volume discounts and uniform price increases.

This Fourth FNPRM seeks comment on whether it would be in the public interest to extend the viewability rule and the HD carriage exemption, both of which are currently scheduled to sunset on June 12, 2012. First, we seek comment on whether to extend, in its current form, the “viewability” rule, which implements the statutory requirement that all cable subscribers, including those with analog equipment, be able to view must carry television signals. Second, given the apparent widespread reliance of small cable operators on the HD exemption, we propose to extend it for an additional three years, but ask whether this should be the final extension. We note that both rule and exemption would have expired on February 17, 2012 if the DTV transition had not been delayed by Congress. The Commission is therefore concurrently issuing a Declaratory Order clarifying that both the viewability rule and the HD Carriage Exemption will sunset on June 12, 2012, absent Commission action to extend them.

In this document, the Commission announces that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has approved, for a period of three years, the information collection associated with the Commission's rules contained in the Second Report and Order, FCC 11-119, pertaining to carriage of video programming vendors by multichannel video programming distributors (program carriage rules). This notice is consistent with the Secord Report and Order, which stated that the Commission would publish a document in the Federal Register announcing the effective date of those rules.