118 STAT. 3429 PUBLIC LAW 108–447—DEC. 8, 2004 retransmission consent, network nonduplication, syndicated exclu sivity, and sports blackout rules, including the impact of those rules on the ability of rural cable operators to compete with direct broadcast satellite industry in the provision of digital broadcast television signals to consumers. Such report shall include such recommendations for changes in any statutory provisions relating to such rules as the Commission deems appropriate. (b) REPORT REQUIRED.—The Federal Communications Commis sion shall submit a report on the results of the inquiry required by subsection (a) to the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate not later than 9 months after the date of the enactment of this Act. SEC. 209. REDUCTION OF REQUIRED TESTS. Section 339(c)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 339(c)(4)) is amended by inserting after subparagraph (C) the fol lowing new subparagraphs: ‘‘(D) REDUCTION OF VERIFICATION BURDENS.—Within 1 year after the date of enactment of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004, the Commission shall by rule exempt from the verification requirements of subparagraph (A) any request for a test made by a subscriber to a satellite carrier to whom the retransmission of the signals of local broadcast stations is available under section 338 from such carrier. ‘‘(E) EXCEPTION.—A satellite carrier may refuse to engage in the testing process. If the carrier does so refuse, a subscriber in a local market in which the satellite carrier does not offer the signals of local broadcast stations under section 338 may, at his or her own expense, authorize a signal intensity test to be performed pursuant to the procedures specified by the Commission in section 73.686(d) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations, by a tester who is approved by the satellite carrier and by each affected network station, or who has been previously approved by the satellite carrier and by each affected network station but not previously disapproved. A tester may not be so disapproved for a test after the tester has commenced such test. The tester shall give 5 business days advance written notice to the satellite carrier and to the affected network station or stations. A signal intensity test con ducted in accordance with this subparagraph shall be deter minative of the signal strength received at that household for purposes of determining whether the household is capable of receiving a Grade B intensity signal.’’. SEC. 210. SATELLITE CARRIAGE OF TELEVISION STATIONS IN NON CONTIGUOUS STATES. Section 338(a) of the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 338(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following: ‘‘(4) CARRIAGE OF SIGNALS OF LOCAL STATIONS IN CERTAIN MARKETS.—A satellite carrier that offers multichannel video programming distribution service in the United States to more than 5,000,000 subscribers shall (A) within 1 year after the date of the enactment of the Satellite Home Viewer Extension and Reauthorization Act of 2004, retransmit the signals origi nating as analog signals of each television broadcast station Deadlines. Notice.
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