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47 U.S.C. § 531 — Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use
Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Authority to establish requirements with respect to designation or use of channel capacity** A franchising authority may establish requirements in a franchise with respect to the designation or use of channel capacity for public, educational, or governmental use only to the extent provided in this section.
**(b) Authority to require designation for public, educational, or governmental use** A franchising authority may in its request for proposals require as part of a franchise, and may require as part of a cable operator’s proposal for a franchise renewal, subject to [section 546 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section546&num=0&edition=prelim), that channel capacity be designated for public, educational, or governmental use, and channel capacity on institutional networks be designated for educational or governmental use, and may require rules and procedures for the use of the channel capacity designated pursuant to this section.
**(c) Enforcement authority** A franchising authority may enforce any requirement in any franchise regarding the providing or use of such channel capacity. Such enforcement authority includes the authority to enforce any provisions of the franchise for services, facilities, or equipment proposed by the cable operator which relate to public, educational, or governmental use of channel capacity, whether or not required by the franchising authority pursuant to subsection (b).
**(d) Promulgation of rules and procedures** In the case of any franchise under which channel capacity is designated under subsection (b), the franchising authority shall prescribe—
(1) rules and procedures under which the cable operator is permitted to use such channel capacity for the provision of other services i
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Stable record: federal_law:legal_authorities:record_usc_53529e9cb1664d4fedc965f7
Source file: Laws/federal/codes/united-states-code/title-47/section-531-cable-channels-for-public-educational-or-governmental-use--9cde90a034.md
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Source location: Title 47, Chapter 5, § 531; chapter-005-wire-or-radio-communication.md
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**(a) Authority to establish requirements with respect to designation or use of channel capacity** A franchising authority may establish requirements in a franchise with respect to the designation or use of channel capacity for public, educational, or governmental use only to the extent provided in this section.
**(b) Authority to require designation for public, educational, or governmental use** A franchising authority may in its request for proposals require as part of a franchise, and may require as part of a cable operator’s proposal for a franchise renewal, subject to [section 546 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section546&num=0&edition=prelim), that channel capacity be designated for public, educational, or governmental use, and channel capacity on institutional networks be designated for educational or governmental use, and may require rules and procedures for the use of the channel capacity designated pursuant to this section.
**(c) Enforcement authority** A franchising authority may enforce any requirement in any franchise regarding the providing or use of such channel capacity. Such enforcement authority includes the authority to enforce any provisions of the franchise for services, facilities, or equipment proposed by the cable operator which relate to public, educational, or governmental use of channel capacity, whether or not required by the franchising authority pursuant to subsection (b).
**(d) Promulgation of rules and procedures** In the case of any franchise under which channel capacity is designated under subsection (b), the franchising authority shall prescribe—
(1) rules and procedures under which the cable operator is permitted to use such channel capacity for the provision of other services if such channel capacity is not being used for the purposes designated, and
(2) rules and procedures under which such permitted use shall cease.
**(e) Editorial control by cable operator** Subject to [section 544(d) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section544/d&num=0&edition=prelim), a cable operator shall not exercise any editorial control over any public, educational, or governmental use of channel capacity provided pursuant to this section, except a cable operator may refuse to transmit any public access program or portion of a public access program which contains obscenity, indecency, or nudity.
**(f) “Institutional network” defined** For purposes of this section, the term “institutional network” means a communication network which is constructed or operated by the cable operator and which is generally available only to subscribers who are not residential subscribers.
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
The purposes of this subchapter are to—
(1) establish a national policy concerning cable communications;
(2) establish franchise procedures and standards which encourage the growth and development of cable systems and which assure that cable systems are responsive to the needs and interests of the local community;
(3) establish guidelines for the exercise of Federal, State, and local authority with respect to the regulation of cable systems;
(4) assure that cable communications provide and are encouraged to provide the widest possible diversity of information sources and services to the public;
(5) establish an orderly process for franchise renewal which protects cable operators against unfair denials of renewal where the operator’s past performance and proposal for future performance meet the standards established by this subchapter; and
(6) promote competition in cable communications and minimize unnecessary regulation that would impose an undue economic burden on cable systems.
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 47 U.S.C. § 521
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Commencement of proceedings; public notice and participation**
(1) A franchising authority may, on its own initiative during the 6-month period which begins with the 36th month before the franchise expiration, commence a proceeding which affords the public in the franchise area appropriate notice and participation for the purpose of (A) identifying the future cable-related community needs and interests, and (B) reviewing the performance of the cable operator under the franchise during the then current franchise term. If the cable operator submits, during such 6-month period, a written renewal notice requesting the commencement of such a proceeding, the franchising authority shall commence such a proceeding not later than 6 months after the date such notice is submitted.
(2) The cable operator may not invoke the renewal procedures set forth in subsections (b) through (g) unless—
(A) such a proceeding is requested by the cable operator by timely submission of such notice; or
(B) such a proceeding is commenced by the franchising authority on its own initiative.
**(b) Submission of renewal proposals; contents; time**
(1) Upon completion of a proceeding under subsection (a), a cable operator seeking renewal of a franchise may, on its own initiative or at the request of a franchising authority, submit a proposal for renewal.
(2) Subject to [section 544 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section544&num=0&edition=prelim), any such proposal shall contain such material as the franchising authority may require, including proposals for an upgrade of the cable system.
(3) The franchising authority may establish a date by which such proposal shall be submitted.
**(c) Notice of proposal; renewal; preliminary assessmen
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 47 U.S.C. § 546
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Carriage obligations** Each cable operator shall carry, on the cable system of that operator, the signals of local commercial television stations and qualified low power stations as provided by this section. Carriage of additional broadcast television signals on such system shall be at the discretion of such operator, subject to [section 325(b) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section325/b&num=0&edition=prelim).
**(b) Signals required**
(1) **In general**
(A) A cable operator of a cable system with 12 or fewer usable activated channels shall carry the signals of at least three local commercial television stations, except that if such a system has 300 or fewer subscribers, it shall not be subject to any requirements under this section so long as such system does not delete from carriage by that system any signal of a broadcast television station.
(B) A cable operator of a cable system with more than 12 usable activated channels shall carry the signals of local commercial television stations, up to one-third of the aggregate number of usable activated channels of such system.
(2) **Selection of signals** — Whenever the number of local commercial television stations exceeds the maximum number of signals a cable system is required to carry under paragraph (1), the cable operator shall have discretion in selecting which such stations shall be carried on its cable system, except that—
(A) under no circumstances shall a cable operator carry a qualified low power station in lieu of a local commercial television station; and
(B) if the cable operator elects to carry an affiliate of a broadcast network (as such term is defined by the Commission by regulation), such cable operator shall carry the affiliate of
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 47 U.S.C. § 534
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
**(a) Carriage obligations** In addition to the carriage requirements set forth in [section 534 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title47-section534&num=0&edition=prelim), each cable operator of a cable system shall carry the signals of qualified noncommercial educational television stations in accordance with the provisions of this section.
**(b) Requirements to carry qualified stations**
(1) **General requirement to carry each qualified station** — Subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) and subsection (e), each cable operator shall carry, on the cable system of that cable operator, any qualified local noncommercial educational television station requesting carriage.
(2) **Systems with 12 or fewer channels**
(A) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), a cable operator of a cable system with 12 or fewer usable activated channels shall be required to carry the signal of one qualified local noncommercial educational television station; except that a cable operator of such a system shall comply with subsection (c) and may, in its discretion, carry the signals of other qualified noncommercial educational television stations.
(B) In the case of a cable system described in subparagraph (A) which operates beyond the presence of any qualified local noncommercial educational television station—
(i) the cable operator shall import and carry on that system the signal of one qualified noncommercial educational television station;
(ii) the selection for carriage of such a signal shall be at the election of the cable operator; and
(iii) in order to satisfy the requirements for carriage specified in this subsection, the cable operator of the system shall not be required to remove any other programming service actually provided to sub
Source: Supplied U.S. Code snapshot — release unconfirmed · 47 U.S.C. § 535
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Federal law — U.S. Code and appendices · legal_authorities
Page 272
TITLE 47—TELECOMMUNICATIONS
§ 531
except those channels whose use for the dis-
tribution of broadcast signals would conflict
with technical and safety regulations as deter-
mined by the Commission; and
(20) the term ‘‘video programming’’ means
programming provided by, or generally consid-
ered comparable to programming provided by,
a television broadcast station.
(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title VI, § 602, as added
Pub. L. 98–549, § 2, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2780;
amended Pub. L. 102–385, § 2(c), Oct. 5, 1992, 106
Stat. 1463; Pub. L. 104–104, title III, §§ 301(a),
302(b)(2), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 114, 124.)
Editorial Notes
AMENDMENTS
1996—Par. (6)(B). Pub. L. 104–104, § 301(a)(1), inserted
‘‘or use’’ after ‘‘the selection’’.
Par. (7)(B). Pub. L. 104–104, § 301(a)(2), added subpar.
(B) and struck out former subpar. (B) which read as fol-
lows: ‘‘a facility that serves only subscribers in 1 or
more multiple unit dwellings under common owner-
ship, control, or management, unless such facility or
facilities uses any public right-of-way;’’.
Par. (7)(C) to (E). Pub. L. 104–104, § 302(b)(2)(A), which
directed substitution of ‘‘, unless the extent of such use
is solely to provide interactive on-demand services; (D)
an open video system that complies with section 573 of
this title; or (E)’’ for ‘‘, or (D)’’, was executed by mak-
ing the substitution for ‘‘; or (D)’’ to reflect the prob-
able intent of Congress.
Pars. (12) to (20). Pub. L. 104–104, § 302(b)(2)(B), (C),
added par. (12) and redesignated former pars. (12) to (19)
as (13) to (20), respectively.
1992—Pub. L. 102–385 added pars. (1), (12), and (18) and
redesignated former pars. (1) to (10) as (2) to (11), re-
spectively, former pars. (11) to (15) as (13) to (17), re-
spectively, and
Source: Supplied 2024 U.S. Code historical extraction · 47 U.S.C. § 531
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