[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 4]
[Revised as of October 1, 2003]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR76.120]

[Page 609-610]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
                         COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 76_MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE--Table of Contents
 
Subpart F_Network Non-duplication Protection, Syndicated Exclusivity and 
                             Sports Blackout
 
Sec.  76.120  Network non-duplication protection, syndicated exclusivity 
and sports blackout rules for satellite carriers: Definitions.

    For purposes of Sec. Sec.  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 Sec.  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 Sec.  76.51, such rights shall not exceed 
those permitted under Sec.  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 Sec.  73.658(m) of this Chapter. To the extent rights are 
obtained for any hyphenated market named in Sec.  76.51, such rights 
shall not exceed those permitted

[[Page 610]]

under Sec.  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 
Sec.  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.