Update to Publication for Television Broadcast Station DMA Determinations for Cable and Satellite Carriage

Issuing agencies

Abstract

In this document, the Commission amends its rules to reference a new publication for use in determining a television station's designated market area (DMA) for satellite and cable carriage under the Commission's regulations. Under the Commission's current rules, television broadcasters, cable operators, and satellite carriers determine DMA for carriage election and other purposes by reference to the Nielsen Station Index Directory (Annual Station Index) in combination with the United States Television Household Estimates (Household Estimates), or a successor publication. Nielsen Media Research division will no longer publish the Annual Station Index and has replaced it with a monthly Local TV Station Information Report (Local TV Report), which is now the only publication necessary to determine a station's DMA. The Household Estimates publication is no longer in use. The Report and Order therefore revises the rules to identify the Local TV Report as that successor publication. The Report and Order also specifies the Local TV Report published in the October two years prior to each triennial carriage election as the successor publication to be used to determine a station's DMA, as well as for determining the local market of broadcast television stations more generally.