This bill adds a new section to the Communications Act that requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to write rules about rebates when video programming is blacked out. The FCC must issue those rules within 90 days of the bill becoming law. Under the new rules, a cable or direct broadcast satellite provider must give a rebate to a subscriber for any time the provider denies access to video programming because of a "covered negotiation," when the provider had agreed to give that programming at the time the subscriber started or renewed the subscription. The FCC must also set how much the rebate should be. The bill defines "covered negotiation" to include retransmission consent talks with television broadcast stations and carriage negotiations for video programming from non-broadcast entities. The terms "provider," "television broadcast station," and "video programming" are defined by reference to existing sections of the Communications Act.
If you subscribe to a cable or direct broadcast satellite service and your provider promised certain channels or programming when you joined or renewed, this bill would require the provider to give you a rebate if those channels are taken away during certain contract negotiations. The rule would apply only to blackouts tied to retransmission consent or carriage negotiations. Exact rebate amounts, timing, and how to claim a rebate will depend on the FCC rules the agency issues.
No publicly available information on estimated federal costs or budget effects is provided in the bill text or metadata. The bill directs the FCC to write rules, but it does not specify dollar amounts or describe administrative costs. The bill also does not state how rebate amounts would be calculated or paid, so effects on provider revenue or subscriber bills are not specified.
No publicly available information.
No publicly available information.