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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  News  Media  Contact:  February  7,  2005  Rebecca  Fisher  (202)  418-  2359 
 FCC  Takes  Steps  Toward  Implementation  of  SHVERA 
 Washington,  DC  --  The  Federal  Communications  Commission  today  released  a  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  (NPRM)  that  continues  the  implementation  of  the  Satellite  Home  Viewer 
 Extension  and  Reauthorization  Act  of  2004  (SHVERA).  The  NPRM  initiates  the  proceeding  that  enables  satellite  carriers  to  offer  FCC-  determined  “significantly  viewed”  signals  of  out-  of-  market 
 broadcast  stations  to  subscribers.  The  NPRM  includes  the  list  of  stations  currently  deemed  Significantly  Viewed. 


 The  SHVERA  bill,  passed  by  Congress  and  enacted  in  December  of  last  year,  directs  the  FCC  to  (1)  publish  and  maintain  a  list  of  stations  and  communities  eligible  for  “significantly 
 viewed”  status,  and  (2)  commence  a  rulemaking  proceeding  to  implement  SHVERA,  both  within  60  days  of  the  bill’s  enactment.  Significantly  viewed  signals  have  significant  over-  the-  air  non-cable 
 viewing  in  a  particular  community. 
 The  Commission’s  rules  relating  to  carriage  of  significantly  viewed  signals  have  been  applied  to  the  cable  industry  for  more  than  30  years,  and  the  SHVERA  bill  applies  those  rules  to 
 satellite  providers. 
 In  addition,  the  NPRM  proposes  several  other  rules  required  by  the  SHVERA  including  publication  of  the  significantly  viewed  list,  establishing  subscriber  eligibility  to  receive  the 
 significantly  viewed  signals  and  satellite  carrier  responsibilities. 
 The  Notice  will  be  available  online  at  www.  fcc.  gov. 
 Action  by  the  Commission,  February  4,  2005,  by  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  (FCC  05-  24) 


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