Satellite Waivers

Story Published: Oct 11, 2006 at 9:48 AM PDT

The Satellite Home Viewers Improvement Act was established in 1999 to ensure that everyone, no matter where they lived, would be able to access network programming. The FCC followed the 1999 regulation with a revised waiver process in 2004. Basically, if viewers could not receive a signal from a local affiliate station due to geographical or topographical reasons, either the primary or secondary waiver process (as described by SHIVA Act in 1999 and again in the SHIRVA Act of 2004) could be utilized so that the viewer could be able to get a distant network signal.

The FCC mandated that the satellite provider be the party to initiate the waiver process and that local TV stations would then act, AFTER being contracted by the satellite providers. That is what the regulation used to be.

Now that satellite providers are able to pass on local station signals (local into local in this market) to their customers, the need for acquiring a waiver for a distant network signal has passed, according to the FCC. Therefore, this station will not grant a waiver to a viewer who is already able to access CBS programming.

For more information visit the FCC website:
http://www.fcc.gov/mb/