[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 47, Volume 2]
[Revised as of October 1, 2007]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 47CFR76.54]

[Page 544-545]
 
                       TITLE 47--TELECOMMUNICATION
 
        CHAPTER I--FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED)
 
PART 76_MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE--Table of Contents
 
           Subpart D_Carriage of Television Broadcast Signals
 
Sec.  76.54  Significantly viewed signals; method to be followed for special 

showings.

    (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 Sec.  
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

[[Page 545]]

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 Sec.  
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 Sec.  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 Sec.  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]