PUBLIC NOTICE Federal Communications Commission 445 12th St., S.W. Washington, D.C. 20554 News Media Information 202 / 418-0500 Internet: http://www.fcc.gov TTY: 1-888-835-5322 DA 15-390 Released: March 30, 2015 Comment Deadlines Set for Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on Extending the High Definition Carriage Exemption CS Docket No. 98-120 Comment Deadline: April 16, 2015 Reply Comment Deadline: April 27, 2015 On March 12, 2015, the Commission released a Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the above captioned proceeding that seeks comment on, among other things, whether to extend for an additional three years the exemption from the requirement to carry high definition broadcast signals under the “material degradation” provisions of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended,1 that it granted to certain small cable systems in 2012.2 That exemption is slated to expire on June 12, 2015 absent action by the Commission. The Commission set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 20 and 30 days, respectively, after publication of the Fifth Further Notice in the Federal Register.3 A summary of the Fifth Further Notice was published in the Federal Register on March 27, 2015.4 Thus, comments must be submitted no later than April 16, 2015. Reply comments must be submitted no later than April 27, 2015. Commenters should follow the filing instructions provided in paragraph 19 of the Fifth Further Notice.5 The Fifth Further Notice is also available on the Commission’s website.6 People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible formats for people with disabilities (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format), send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty). 1 See 47 U.S.C. §§ 534(b)(4)(A), 535(g)(2) (material degradation requirements relating to signals of local commercial and noncommercial television stations, respectively). 2 See Carriage of Digital Television Broadcast Signals: Amendment to Part 76 of the Commission’s Rules, CS Docket No. 98-120, Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 15-29 (rel. Mar. 12, 2015) (“Fifth Further Notice”). 3 See Fifth Further Notice at 1. 4 See https://www.federalregister.gov/articles/2015/03/27/2015-06943/carriage-of-digital-television-broadcast- signals. 5 See Fifth Further Notice at ¶ 19. 6 See https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-15-29A1.docx. 2For further information regarding this proceeding, contact Raelynn Remy, Policy Division, Media Bureau, 202-418-2936. -FCC-