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HR 1626 108th Congress House

Local Voices on TV Act of 2003

Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure equity for all full-service television broadcasters and ensure the benefits of local programming for communit… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to ensure equity for all full-service television broadcasters and ensure the benefits of local programming for communities served by class A television broadcast stations by providing cable carriage rights for qualified class A television stations, and for other purposes.

Introduced: September 4, 2003 See on congress.gov
Science, Technology, Communications Administrative procedureCable televisionChild safetyCrime and Law Enforcement
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This bill died when the 108th Congress ended
It never became law before the 108th Congress (2003–2004) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 10, 2003
Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
Apr 3, 2003
Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Apr 3, 2003
Introduced in House
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 Latest action April 10, 2003

Referred to the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service
Local Voices on TV Act of 2003 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to prohibit a cable television operator (operator) from carrying the signal of a qualified class A television station (a station that provides local and specialized service and meets certain other requirements) in lieu of a full power analog or digital local commercial station. Requires that, if there are not sufficient signals of full power local commercial stations to fill the channels set aside for local programming, an operator with a system capacity of 35 or fewer channels must carry one qualified low power station (current law) or one qualified class A station. Requires: (1) an operator with a system capacity of more than 35 but less than 72 channels to carry two stations that are either class A or low power stations; and (2) an operator with a system capacity of more than 72 channels to carry three that are either type of stations. Grants carriage rights to all qualified class A stations in a designated market area if there are three or fewer commercial full power stations serving that area that do not substantially retransmit the signal of another broadcast station.

Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to prescribe regulations to implement provisions for the application and granting of new class A television licenses in accordance with the Community Broadcasters Protection Act of 1999. Directs the FCC to consider whether the treatment of a low-power station as a class A station would meet the public interest, convenience, and necessity.

Requires prompt FCC review and determination with respect to applications of advanced television services.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 2
 Cosponsors 5
All 5 Republican 3
R
Lucas, Frank D.
Oklahoma · Sep 4, 2003
LUCAS, KEN
· Jul 25, 2003
 R
Smith, Christopher H.
New Jersey · May 14, 2003
 R
Diaz-Balart, Mario
Florida · Apr 3, 2003
DIAZ-BALART, LINCOLN
· Apr 3, 2003
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1626: Local Voices on TV Act of 2003. 108th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1626/
MLA
"H.R. 1626: Local Voices on TV Act of 2003." 108th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1626/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1626, 108th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1626/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1626: Local Voices on TV Act of 2003](https://openamerica.io/bill/108-HR-1626/)
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