FCC Proposes Satellite Television Market Modification Rules

The Federal Communications Commission proposed modifying satellite television market rules to enable satellite subscribers to gain access to in-state news and other programming that they currently are unable to receive.

The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking implements Section 102 of the STELA Reauthorization Act of 2014 (also known as “STELAR”). The proposal would, as Congress directed, create regulatory parity between satellite and cable television providers. The Commission proposes to apply the existing cable rule to the satellite carriage context, while adding rules to address the unique nature of satellite television service, such as giving carriers an exception if the resulting carriage is “not technically and economically feasible.” Market modification allows ‎the Commission, on request from a broadcaster or cable operator, to add or delete communities from a particular commercial TV broadcast station’s local television market to better reflect market realities.

The STELAR requires the Commission to issue final rules for satellite television market modification on or before September 4, 2015.