Amendment of List of Major Television Markets Designated Communities

This document amends the Commission's rules to add the communities of Merced and Porterville, California to the Fresno- Visalia-Hanford-Clovis hyphenated television market ("Fresno-Visalia" market). The Communications Act requires that the Commission make revisions needed to update the list of top 100 television markets and their designated communities. The Commission's rules enumerates the top 100 television markets and the designated communities within those markets. In addition to permitting broadcast territorial exclusivity, television stations that are part of a hyphenated market may assert network non-duplication rights and syndicated programming exclusivity against other television stations throughout the hyphenated market. Market hyphenation helps equalize competition among stations in a market. This document concludes that there is sufficient evidence demonstrating commonality between the two communities to be added to the Fresno-Visalia hyphenated market.