Protecting Community Television Act

The Protecting Community Television Act would amend the Communications Act of 1934 to alter how the term “franchise fee” is defined. The bill changes the definitional language in section 622(g)(1) by replacing the word “includes” with “means” and by adding the phrase “other monetary” before “assessment.” In practical terms, this shifts the term from a descriptive list to a formal, stand-alone definition and broadens the scope to cover additional monetary charges that governments may levy on cable systems as part of franchise arrangements. The aim appears to be clarifying and potentially expanding what counts as a franchise fee, which can affect how such charges are calculated, reported, or capped under existing franchise fee provisions. By tightening and broadening the definitional scope, the bill could influence how local governments assess payments from cable operators and how those payments are treated in relation to franchise fee caps and revenue-sharing obligations. The name of the measure—“Protecting Community Television Act”—suggests a focus on preserving funding mechanisms for community-access television (PEG) through franchise-related charges, though the text provided here stops at redefining franchise fee and does not specify new funding mandates or distribution rules.