§ 76.94 - Notification.

§ 76.94 Notification.

(a) In order to exercise non-duplication rights pursuant to § 76.92, television stations shall notify each cable television system operator of the non-duplication sought in accordance with the requirements of this section. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this section, non-duplication protection notices shall include the following information:

(1) The name and address of the party requesting non-duplication protection and the television broadcast station holding the non-duplication right;

(2) The name of the program or series (including specific episodes where necessary) for which protection is sought; and

(3) The dates on which protection is to begin and end.

(b) Broadcasters entering into contracts providing for network non-duplication protection shall notify affected cable systems within 60 calendar days of the signing of such a contract. In the event the broadcaster is unable based on the information contained in the contract, to furnish all the information required by paragraph (a) of this section at that time, the broadcaster must provide modified notices that contain the following information:

(1) The name of the network (or networks) which has (or have) extended non-duplication protection to the broadcaster;

(2) The time periods by time of day (local time) and by network (if more than one) for each day of the week that the broadcaster will be broadcasting programs from that network (or networks) and for which non-duplication protection is requested; and

(3) The duration and extent (e.g., simultaneous, same-day, seven-day, etc.) of the non-duplication protection which has been agreed upon by the network (or networks) and the broadcaster.

(c) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (d) of this section, a broadcaster shall be entitled to non-duplication protection beginning on the later of:

(1) The date specified in its notice (as described in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section, whichever is applicable) to the cable television system; or

(2) The first day of the calendar week (Sunday through Saturday) that begins 60 days after the cable television system receives notice from the broadcaster.

(d) A broadcaster shall provide the following information to the cable television system under the following circumstances:

(1) In the event the protection specified in the notices described in paragraphs (a) or (b) of this section has been limited or ended prior to the time specified in the notice, or in the event a time period, as identified to the cable system in a notice pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, for which a broadcaster has obtained protection is shifted to another time of day or another day (but not expanded), the broadcaster shall, as soon as possible, inform each cable television system operator that has previously received the notice of all changes from the original notice. Notice to be furnished “as soon as possible” under this paragraph shall be furnished by telephone, telegraph, facsimile, overnight mail or other similar expedient means.

(2) In the event the protection specified in the modified notices described in paragraph (b) of this section has been expanded, the broadcaster shall, at least 60 calendar days prior to broadcast of a protected program entitled to such expanded protection, notify each cable system operator that has previously received notice of all changes from the original notice.

(e) In determining which programs must be deleted from a television signal, a cable television system operator may rely on information from any of the following sources published or otherwise made available:

(1) Newspapers or magazines of general circulation.

(2) A television station whose programs may be subject to deletion. If a cable television system asks a television station for information about its program schedule, the television station shall answer the request:

(i) Within ten business days following the television station's receipt of the request; or

(ii) Sixty days before the program or programs mentioned in the request for information will be broadcast; whichever comes later.

(3) The broadcaster requesting exclusivity.

(f) A broadcaster exercising exclusivity pursuant to § 76.92 shall provide to the cable system, upon request, an exact copy of those portions of the contracts, such portions to be signed by both the network and the broadcaster, setting forth in full the provisions pertinent to the duration, nature, and extent of the non-duplication terms concerning broadcast signal exhibition to which the parties have agreed.