THAD COCHRAN COMMITTEE ON 
APPROPRIATIONS MISSISSIPPI 
CHAIRMAN 
CJ.anitrd ~tatrs ~rnatc COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, NUTRITION, AND FORESTRY 
The Honorable Ajit Pai 
Chairman 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510-2402 
March 29, 2018 
Federal Communications Commission 
445 12th Street, S.W. 
Washington, D.C. 20554 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
I am writing regarding "national audience reach limitation" policy and my 
understanding of the Congressional intent of that rule when the Senate Committee on 
Appropriations addressed this issue during the 108th Congress. 
COMMITTEE ON 
RULES AND 
ADMINISTRATION 
As you know, Congress set the national television ownership cap at 39 percent in 
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-199), rather than accept the 
45 percent proposed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Further, Sec. 
629 paragraph 3 of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 prohibits the FCC from 
modifying the 3 9 percent national audience reach limitation. 
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004 did not address the UHF discount. 
In 2003 and 2004, the broadcasting industry had not completed the digital transition and 
UHF signals remained inferior to VHF signals. If the Commission determines that UHF 
signals are no longer technologically inferior to VHF signals, it should sunset the discount 
accordingly. The Appropriations Committee did not intend for the UHF discount to be 
used as a loophole to the 3 9 percent national audience reach limitation. 
Because the national audience reach limitation issue is an important factor in 
pending mergers and acquisitions, the Commission should resolve this issue before 
approving any non-routine broadcast television license transfers. I hope this background 
will help inform your rulemaking on this important issue. 
TC/eh 
Thank you for your attention to this issue and for your service to our country. 
Sincerely, 
~~ 
THAD COCHRAN 
United States Senator 
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