Process for issuing qualified carrier certification

The Commission shall issue a certification for the purposes of section 119(g)(3)(A)(iii) 11 See References in Text note below. of title 17 if the Commission determines that— with respect to each designated market area in which such satellite carrier was not providing such local service as of the date of enactment of the Satellite Television Extension and Localism Act of 2010— Any entity seeking the certification provided for in subsection (a) shall submit to the Commission the following information: For each designated market area not listed in paragraph (1): The Commission shall provide 30 days for public comment on a request for certification under this section. The Commission shall grant or deny a request for certification within 90 days after the date on which such request is filed. An entity granted qualified carrier status pursuant to section 119(g) 1 of title 17 shall file an affidavit with the Commission 30 months after such status was granted stating that, to the best of the affiant’s knowledge, it is in compliance with the requirements for a qualified carrier. For the purposes of this section: The term “designated market area” has the meaning given such term in section 122(j)(2)(C) of title 17. The term “good quality satellite signal” means— a satellite signal whose power level as designed shall achieve reception and demodulation of the signal at an availability level of at least 99.7 percent using— taking into account whether a signal is in standard definition format or high definition format, compression methodology, modulation, error correction, power level, and utilization of advances in technology that do not circumvent the intent of this section to provide for non-discriminatory treatment with respect to any comparable television broadcast station signal, a video signal transmitted by a satellite carrier such that— For the purposes of subparagraph (A), the top 100 designated market areas shall be as determined by Nielsen Media Research and published in the Nielsen Station Index Directory and Nielsen Station Index United States Television Household Estimates or any successor publication as of the date of a satellite carrier’s application for certification under this section.