*Pages 1--1 from  Microsoft Word - 48314.doc*
 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:  April  29,  2005  Rebecca  Fisher  (202)  418-  2359 
 FCC  Takes  Next  Steps  in  Full  Implementation  of  SHVERA 
 Washington,  DC  --  Continuing  the  implementation  of  the  Satellite  Home  Viewer  Extension  and  Reauthorization  Act  of  2004  (SHVERA),  the  FCC  today  adopted  a  Notice  of  Proposed 
 Rulemaking  that  initiates  new  satellite  broadcast  carriage  requirements  to  the  noncontiguous  United  States. 


 The  Notice  requests  comment  on  rules  to  implement  the  requirement  that  satellite  carriers  with  more  than  five  million  subscribers  carry  both  the  analog  and  digital  signals  of  television  broadcast 
 stations  in  local  markets  in  the  noncontiguous  states.  The  SHVERA  requires  satellite  carriers  to  provide  these  signals  to  substantially  all  of  their  subscribers  in  each  station’s  local  market  by 
 December  8,  2005  for  analog  signals  and  by  June  8,  2007  for  digital  signals.  Currently,  satellite  providers  DirecTV  and  EchoStar  qualify  for  the  satellite  broadcast  carriage  requirements  because 
 they  have  more  than  five  million  subscribers. 
 The  Notice  seeks  public  comment  on  a  number  of  issues,  such  as  whether  the  term  ‘noncontiguous  states’  includes  territories  and  possessions  such  as  Puerto  Rico  and  Guam,  as  well  as 
 Alaska  and  Hawaii.  It  also  seeks  comment  on  the  interpretation  that  satellite  carriers'  obligation  to  carry  local  stations'  signals  extends  to  the  whole  broadcast  signal,  including  multicast  digital  signals 
 and  high  definition  signals.  The  proposed  rules  establish  two  deadlines  for  local  stations  to  elect  mandatory  carriage  or  retransmission  consent:  October  1,  2005,  for  analog  signals,  and  April  1,  2007, 
 for  digital  signals. 
 In  December  2004,  Congress  passed  the  Satellite  Home  Viewers  Extension  and  Reauthorization  Act.  The  SHVERA  amends  the  1988  copyright  laws  and  the  Communications  Act  to 
 further  aid  the  competitiveness  of  satellite  carriers  and  expand  program  offerings  for  satellite  subscribers.  The  bill  requires  the  FCC  to  undertake  several  proceedings  to  implement  new  rules, 
 revise  existing  rules,  and  conduct  studies  within  one  year  of  the  bill’s  passage.  The  adopted  rulemaking  is  required  to  implement  provisions  in  Section  210  of  the  SHVERA  concerning  satellite 
 carriage  of  local  stations  in  the  noncontiguous  states. 
 Action  by  the  Commission  April  29,  2005,  by  Notice  of  Proposed  Rulemaking  (FCC  05-  92).  Chairman  Martin,  Commissioners  Abernathy,  Copps  and  Adelstein. 


 Docket  05-  181  --  FCC-- 
 Media  Bureau  staff  contacts:  Steve  Broeckaert  (202-  418-  7200)  Eloise  Gore  (202-  418-  7200) 
1