PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.By Senator Rockefeller from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 111-385.
Congressional Research Service
Version 01 · Reported to Senate with amendment(s) · Dec 17, 2010
Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2009 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Communications Act of 1934 to extend until December 31, 2014 (under current law, until December 31, 2009), the authorization for a multichannel video programming distributor to retransmit the signal of a broadcasting station if the subscriber receiving the signal is outside the station's local market and resides in an unserved household.
(Sec. 3) Applies provisions relating to satellite retransmissions of significantly viewed broadcast signals only to retransmissions to subscribers who receive local-into-local service.
Allows a satellite carrier to retransmit in high definition (HD) the signal of a significantly viewed station only if the carrier also retransmits in HD (when available) the signal of a station located in the local market of the subscriber and affiliated with the same network.
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Directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to promulgate a rule implementing amendments made by this Act.
(Sec. 4) Allows satellite carriers to retransmit local-into-local signals in digital and HD to two separate reception antennas.
Revises the rules governing: (1) the reception of distant signals by certain grandfathered and nongrandfathered subscribers; (2) reception predictive models; and (3) on-location reception testing.
(Sec. 7) Requires each eligible satellite carrier providing any local-into-local HD secondary transmissions before enactment of this Act to carry the HD signals of qualified noncommercial educational television stations in that local market according to a specified time schedule. Defines "eligible satellite carrier" as any satellite carrier that does not have a carriage contract, in effect at enactment of this Act, with a qualified noncommercial educational television station that governs carriage of more than 30 such stations.
(Sec. 8) Requires the Comptroller General to study and report to Congress on the changes to the carriage requirements currently imposed on multichannel video programming distributors under the Communications Act of 1934 and FCC regulations that would be required by or beneficial to consumers if Congress implemented such a phase-out.
(Sec. 9) Requires satellite carriers to report to the FCC regarding local market retransmissions. Requires an FCC study and report concerning incentives that would induce a satellite carrier to provide television in certain local markets in which the carrier does not provide service.
(Sec. 10) Directs the FCC to require as a condition of any provision, initial authorization, or authorization renewal that a provider of direct broadcast satellite service providing video programming, or a qualified satellite provider providing such programming, reserve a specified portion of its channel capacity for noncommercial programming of an educational or informational nature.
People & committees
Sen. Rockefeller, John D., IV [D-WV] · D–WV
Legislative record
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By Senator Rockefeller from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 111-385.
By Senator Rockefeller from Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation filed written report. Report No. 111-385.
Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 709.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Rockefeller with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. Without written report.
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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