Go Pack Go Act of 2018

Go Pack Go Act of 2018

This bill amends the Communications Act of 1934 to require a cable operator or satellite carrier to provide certain subscribers in specified Wisconsin counties who elect to receive a television network: (1) retransmission of the signal of any local network station that the operator or carrier is required to retransmit to the subscriber; (2) an in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission; or (3) both retransmissions. A satellite carrier shall be required to provide a retransmission only to the extent that it is technically feasible.

The bill defines "in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission" as the secondary transmission by a satellite carrier of the primary transmission of any network station whose community of license is located in a subscriber's state and in a local market that is adjacent to the subscriber's local market.

This bill shall apply to such an in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission to a subscriber, to specified Wisconsin counties (i.e., Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Dunn, Florence, Iron, Pierce, Polk, Sawyer, St. Croix, or Washburn) that are not in the local market of any television broadcast station that is affiliated with the same network and whose community of license is located in the subscriber's state.

The bill exempts in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmissions in such counties from: (1) retransmission consent requirements that prohibit cable operators from retransmitting broadcast stations without the authority of the originating station, and (2) statutory licensing limitations under federal copyright laws concerning satellite retransmissions to unserved households and secondary transmissions of distant signals.