,i #aaeth ,,congress #b;d ,session ,h4 ,r4 #fdaf ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,july #ah1 #bjah,mr4 ,smith of ,new ,jersey 7for himself and ,mr4 ,payne7 introduced the following bill2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce ,a ,,bill ,to amend the ,communications ,act of #aicd to direct the ,federal ,communications ,commission1 upon the request of a very high frequency commercial television broadcast station that has relocated to an underserved ,state1 to provide that the virtual major channel number of such station shall be considered to be the same as the radio frequency channel number of such station4 #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,local ,television ,service and ,emergency ,preparedness ,act of #bjah4 #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,section #cjg7;b7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #cjg7;b77 provides that the ,federal ,communications ,commission shall make such distribution of licenses1 frequencies1 hours of operation1 and of power among the several ,states and communities as to provide a fair1 efficient1 and equitable distribution of radio service to each of the same4 7#b7 ,in #aihb1 ,congress added section #cca7;a7 to such ,act 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #cca7;a77 with the clear intent of providing high quality1 competitive1 commercial very high frequency 7,,vhf7 television service identifiable as such to the public in ,states without ,,vhf television service4 ,such section was adopted1 in part1 to address the need for focused local news and emergency information in ,states without dedicated ,,vhf television service1 and as important1 without an in-,state ,nielsen designated market area with the usual accompaniment of stations affiliated with the major networks and oriented toward local news4 7#c7 ,key reasons for ensuring that a ,,vhf station's virtual major channel number matches its radio frequency channel number when allocated pursuant to such section #cca7;a7 include the following3 7,a7 ,more comprehensive deployment of the ,emergency ,alert ,system4 7,b7 ,increased public awareness through ongoing1 over-the-air education of crisis management by ,federal1 ,state1 and local officials4 7,c7 ,augmented public emergency preparedness4 7,d7 ,enhanced focus and in-,state coordination of communications to facilitate improved public responsiveness to calls for action from alerts issued through the ,emergency ,alert ,system1 whether local1 ,state1 or national in origination4 7,e7 ,continuing comprehensive local news reports and dissemination of pertinent emergency management information within a ,state to which a ,,vhf station relocates during and following such alerts4 7,f7 ,ensuring viewers will know to select the proper ,,vhf antenna for over-the-air reception of such participating ,emergency ,alert ,system station4 7,g7 ,having a common universal numerical ,,vhf tuning address throughout the viewing area ensures an easily remembered channel number for accessing the ,,vhf station and ,emergency ,alert ,system information4 7#d7 ,the right to obtain and retain a matching virtual major channel number and radio frequency channel number is crucial to providing high-quality ,,vhf television service as described in the preceding paragraphs of this section4 #c4 ,common virtual major channel number and radio frequency channel number for certain ,,vhf television stations ,section #cca7;a7 of the ,communications ,act of #aicd 7#dg ,u4,s4,c4 #cca7;a77 is amended-- 7#a7 by striking ,it shall be the policy and inserting the following3 7#a7 ,policy ,it shall be the policy 2 and 7#b7 by adding at the end the following3 7#b7 ,common virtual major channel number and radio frequency channel number 7,a7 ,in general ,not later than #de days after the submission of a request to the ,commission by the licensee of a station retaining a channel which has been reallocated and relocated to a community in a ,state under paragraph 7#a7 with main facilities in such ,state1 the ,commission shall1 subject to subparagraph 7,c7 but notwithstanding any other provision of law and its rules1 issue an order providing that the channel numbers described subparagraph 7,b7 shall be considered to be the same as the number of the radio frequency channel of the station as specified in the ,digital ,television ,table of ,allotments4 7,b7 ,channel numbers described ,the channel numbers described in this subparagraph are the following3 7i7 ,the number of the very high frequency channel on which the station is broadcast over the air for purposes of section #fad7;b77#f7 and the associated regulations of the ,commission4 7ii7 ,the virtual major channel number specified in the ,program and ,system ,information ,protocol of the station1 as determined under the ,,atsc standard entitled #8,program and ,system ,information ,protocol for ,terrestrial ,broadcast and ,cable' 7or any successor standard7 with which the rules of the ,commission require the transmission of digital broadcast television signals to comply4 7,c7 ,requirements relating to local news1 information1 or public affairs programming 7i7 ,initial certification ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall apply with respect to a station only if the licensee of such station includes in the request submitted under such subparagraph a certification that1 beginning not later than #ij days after the date of such request1 such station will provide at least one hour daily of news1 information1 or public affairs programming focused on1 or of general interest to1 local audiences in the ,state to which the channel of such station has been reallocated under paragraph 7#a74 7ii7 ,initiation and continuation of programming2 annual recertification ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall cease to apply with respect to a station if the licensee of such station fails to-- 7,i7 initiate the programming described in clause 7i7 within the #ij-;day timeframe described in such clause2 7,,ii7 produce and air the programming described in clause 7i7 on a continuing basis2 or 7,,iii7 recertify on an annual basis that such station is providing the programming described in clause 7i74 7iii7 ,availability to other television stations and services ,subparagraph 7,a7 shall cease to apply with respect to a station if the licensee of such station fails to-- 7,i7 make available1 on a reasonable basis1 the programming described in clause 7i7 to other television broadcast stations and other television distribution services 7such as cable or satellite television systems71 for distribution outside the ,nielsen designated market area of the station the channel of which has been reallocated under paragraph 7#a7 but within the ,state to which such channel has been so reallocated2 or 7,,ii7 after the programming described in clause 7i7 has aired1 make such programming available through streaming on the internet4 4