Definition of Markets for Purposes of the Cable Television Must- Carry Rules

The Commission amends its rules to continue to use Arbitron's 1991-1992 ``Area of Dominant Influence'' (``ADI'') market list for determining local markets for the must-carry/retransmission consent election that must be made by commercial broadcast television stations by October 1, 1996. The Commission will switch to Nielsen's ``Designated Market Area'' (``DMA'') list beginning with the 1999 election, and will use updated Nielsen market lists for subsequent elections. The Commission's previously established procedures to determine local television markets for signal carriage purposes assumed that Arbitron would continue to publish market designations and that updated ADI market lists would be available for each triennial must- carry/retransmission consent election. However, Arbitron has ceased publication of its ADI market list and it is now necessary for the Commission to adopt a revised mechanism for determining local markets for signal carriage purposes. By postponing the change to market designation procedures until the 1999 election, the Commission and affected parties will have an opportunity to consider transitional mechanisms to facilitate the switch from one market designation to another. The Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking segment of this decision is summarized elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.