MITCH McCONNELL 
KfNTUC to: 
317 RUSSFLL SENATE QfflCE BUILDING 
WASHINGTON, DC 20510 1702 
(202) 224 2541 
March 12, 2018 
The Honorable Aj it Pai 
Chairman 
Federal Communications Comm ission 
445 12th Street SW 
Washington, D.C. 20554-0004 
Dear Chairman Pai: 
MAJORITY LEADER 
COMMITIEES 
AGRICULTURE 
APPROPRIATIONS 
RULES AND ADMINISTRATION 
1 write today to inquire about the status of a petition filed by Gray Television Licensee, LLC to modify the 
televis ion market of WYMT-TV for the purpose of it being carried by sate ll ite television providers in its area. 
As you know, local broadcasting plays an important role in communities across the nation. Not only does 
local broadcasting provide a medium to inform individuals about current events in their communi ties, it also 
provides the public with helpful information regarding matters of publ ic safety. While we can all acknowledge 
that access to local news is important to communities, there are s ituations where individuals are unable to 
access their local broadcasting stations through their sate llite te levision provider, due to constricting television 
market boundaries. In these instances, satellite customers, many of them in rural areas of the country, are 
oftentimes left to access news from broadcasting stations that may be located hundreds of miles away or in 
many cases, across state lines. Further, this limited access to local news disproportionately affects rural 
communities, as certa in rural areas rely more on satellite than cable. To address these challenges, Congress 
passed the STELA Reauthorization Act of20 14 (P.L. 11 3-200), which gives the Commission the authority to 
modify a commercial broadcast television station's local te levis ion market for the satelli te retransmission of 
broadcast signa ls. Within this authority, the Commission may grant a petition to modify a local television 
market, should the petition meet certain statutory factors, as described in P.L. 113-200. As you know, these 
factors, and the input of the community, are important to take into consideration as the Commission decides 
whether to grant a petition to modify a local television market, such as the one requested by WYMT-TV. 
It is my understanding that WYMT-TV has petitioned the Commission to adjust the station's television 
market, wi th the goal of provid ing the people of Eastern Kentucky with easier access to local news that is more 
re levant to their communities. As a lways, I appreciate the Commission's commitment to the careful 
consideration of the matters before it. For this reason, it is my hope the Commission w ill continue this 
practice, give fu ll and fair consideration of WY MT-TV's request, and take into account the viewpoints of 
those who shared their input on the peti tion through the open comment period. 
Thank you in advance for your attention to WYMT-TY's req uest, and for providing my office with an update 
on the proceeding's status. I am appreciative of your leadership on rural communications matters, and I hope 
you wi ll continue to keep rural communities in mind throughout your time as Chairman of the Commission. 
Sincerely, 
~?f:'r:?-.~ 
y : rc: M:;ONNELL 
UNITED STATES SENATOR 
MM/qs 
FE or AAl 8UILOINl• 
241 EAST MA'N STRffT 
ROOM 102 
BOWLIN(, GRI IN, KY 42101 
(270) 781 1673 
1885 D1XI[ H1GHWAV 
SUITE 345 
FORT WRll, H 'KY 41011 
(859) 578 0188 
• 
771 CORPORATE DRIV£ 
SUITE 108 
ll XINGTON, KY 40!>03 
18591 224 8286 
300 SOUTH MAIN 
SUITE 310 
LONDON. KY 40741 
(606) 864 2026 
601 WrsT BROADWAY 
Sum 630 
LOUISVIL l [' KY 40202 
(502) 582 6304 
100 FOUNTAIN AVlNUf 
Sum 300 
PADUC:AH. KY 42001 
(270) 442 4554 
173