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HR 3216 111th Congress House

Local Television Freedom Act of 2009

Official title: To amend the Communications Act of 1934 to permit the retransmission of signals of local television broadcast stations in an adjacent underserved county, and for other purposes.

Introduced: July 14, 2009 See on congress.gov
Science, Technology, Communications Administrative law and regulatory proceduresBroadcasting, cable, digital technologiesFederal Communications Commission (FCC)Intellectual property
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Licensing and registrationsSpacecraft and satellitesTelevision and film
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This bill died when the 111th Congress ended
It never became law before the 111th Congress (2009–2010) 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 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jul 15, 2009
Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.
Jul 14, 2009
Referred to House Energy and Commerce
Jul 14, 2009
Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Jul 14, 2009
Referred to House Judiciary
Jul 14, 2009
Introduced in House
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 Latest action July 15, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Local Television Freedom Act of 2009 - Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to allow retransmission of a television broadcast station's signals by a multichannel video programming distributor to a subscriber located in the station's adjacent underserved county, unless the station certifies to the distributor that it is under no legal obligation restricting its ability to grant retransmission consent to the distributor.

Prohibits a television broadcast station that elects retransmission consent from requesting as a condition to receiving retransmission consent that a multichannel video programming distributor not exercise its right to carry any other broadcast station in the station's adjacent underserved county.

Allows a satellite carrier to provide service under a statutory license to the adjacent underserved county within which a household is located.

Requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revise regulations concerning network nonduplication, syndicated exclusivity, and sports blackout protection against the retransmission by a multichannel video programming distributor to permit such retransmission if the receiving subscriber is in the station's adjacent underserved county.

Imposes statutory copyright licensing in certain situations on the secondary transmission of a television broadcast station into an adjacent underserved county, except when dealing with a performance or display of a work made by that station. Defines "adjacent underserved county" as a county within the station's adjacent market that is both: (1) located in the same state as the station's community of license; and (2) not within the local market of any other station that is both affiliated with the same network and located in the same state as such other station's community of license.

Declares that the secondary transmission of a performance or display of a work embodied in a primary transmission is not an infringement of copyright if the secondary transmission is to a subscriber in a broadcast station's adjacent underserved county.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 3
 Cosponsors 6
All 6 Democratic 1 Republican 2
Wilson, Charles
· Sep 10, 2009
Childers, Travis
· Jul 14, 2009
HILL, BARON
· Jul 14, 2009
 R
Lummis, Cynthia M.
Wyoming · Jul 14, 2009
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Jul 14, 2009
 R
Smith, Adrian
Nebraska · Jul 14, 2009
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 3216: Local Television Freedom Act of 2009. 111th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3216/
MLA
"H.R. 3216: Local Television Freedom Act of 2009." 111th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3216/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 3216, 111th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3216/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 3216: Local Television Freedom Act of 2009](https://openamerica.io/bill/111-HR-3216/)
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