FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Bobby Rush U.S. House of Representatives 2268 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congressman Rush: July 23, 2014 Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Black Television News Channel's ("BTNC") waiver request. Your views will be taken into consideration, and your letter will be entered into the record for this proceeding. As you are aware, Congress has imposed certain requirements on Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) carriers, including the requirement to reserve a percentage of channel capacity for noncommercial educational or informational programming. Commission rules currently require four percent of a DBS carrier' s channel capacity to be reserved exclusively for noncommercial programming of an educational or informational nature. As you note, BTNC recently filed a request for a three-year waiver from this requirement. On May 15, 2014, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice requesting comments on BTNC's waiver request. The comment periods have closed, and the Media Bureau has started its review of the record. I hope this information is helpful, and I appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerely,/!~~ ~eeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Corrine Brown U.S. House of Representatives 2111 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Brown: July 23, 2014 Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Black Television News Channel's ("BTNC") waiver request. Your views will be taken into consideration, and your letter will be entered into the record for this proceeding. As you are aware, Congress has imposed certain requirements on Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) carriers, including the requirement to reserve a percentage of channel capacity for noncommercial educational or informational programming. Commission rules currently require four percent of a DBS carrier' s channel capacity to be reserved exclusively for noncommercial programming of an educational or informational nature. As younote, BTNC recently filed a request for a three-year waiver from this requirement. On May 15, 2014, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice requesting comments on BTNC's waiver request. The comment periods have closed and the Media Bureau has started its review of the record. I hope this information is helpful, and I appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerel~A~/-- -&eeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Gwen Moore U.S. House of Representatives 2245 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Moore: July 23, 2014 Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Black Television News Channel's ("BTNC") waiver request. Your views will be taken into consideration, and your letter will be entered into the record for this proceeding. As you are aware, Congress has imposed certain requirements on Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) carriers, including the requirement to reserve a percentage of channel capacity for noncommercial educational or informational programming. Commission rules currently require four percent of a DBS carrier's channel capacity to be reserved exclusively for noncommercial programming of an educational or informational nature. · As you note, BTNC recently filed a request for a three-year waiver from this requirement. On May 15, 2014, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice requesting comments on BTNC's waiver request. The comment periods have closed and the Media Bureau has started its review of the record. I hope this information is helpful, and I appreciate your interest in this matter. Sincerelyl;t/- ~eeler FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION WASHINGTON OFFICE OF THE CHAIRMAN The Honorable Frederica Wilson U.S. House ofRepresentatives 208 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Congresswoman Wilson: July 23, 2014 Thank you for your recent letter regarding the Black Television News Channel's ("BTNC") waiver request. Your views will be taken into consideration, and your letter will be entered into the record for this proceeding. As you are aware, Congress has imposed certain requirements on Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) carriers, including the requirement to reserve a percentage of channel capacity for noncommercial educational or informational programming. Commission rules currently require four percent of a DBS carrier's channel capacity to be reserved exclusively for noncommercial programming of an educational or informational nature.· As you note, BTNC recently filed a request for a three-year waiver from this requirement. On May 15, 2014, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice requesting comments on BTNC's waiver request. The comment periods have closed and the Media Bureau has started its review of the record. I hope this information is helpful, and I appreciate your interest in this matter.