H.R. 5165 — Go Pack Go Act of 2025

This section adds a new section 346 to the Communications Act of 1934 requiring cable operators and satellite carriers, at the election of a subscriber in a covered county (as defined in 17 U.S.C. 119(d)), to provide retransmission of (1) any required local network station signal, (2) an in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission (as defined in 17 U.S.C. 119(d), adapted for cable operators), or (3) both. (Thus, if a subscriber elects only the in-state adjacent-market signal, it satisfies local carriage obligations under §§338, 614, or 615; satellite carriage is subject to technical feasibility; cable retransmissions are exempt from retransmission consent under §325(b) and deemed significantly viewed under FCC rules.) This section further amends satellite carriage rules in §339(a)(1)(A) to exclude in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmissions to covered-county subscribers from the limit of two distant network station signals per day; amends §339(a)(2) to exempt such retransmissions from distant-signal replacement rules; adds definitions of covered county and in-state, adjacent-market network station retransmission to §339(d); and amends §340(b)(3) to preserve subscriber rights to significantly viewed out-of-state signals notwithstanding an election under new §346(b).

This section modifies the satellite television statutory license under 17 U.S.C. §119 to exclude in-State, adjacent-market network station retransmissions to subscribers residing in 13 specified Wisconsin counties (i.e., "covered counties": Ashland, Barron, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas, Dunn, Florence, Iron, Pierce, Polk, Sawyer, St. Croix, or Washburn counties) from the limit of no more than two network stations per day for unserved households; defines "unserved household" to include such subscribers in covered counties; and defines "in-State, adjacent-market network station retransmission" (i.e., retransmission of a network station located in the subscriber's state but in an adjacent local market) and "covered county" (i.e., a listed Wisconsin county lacking an in-state, same-network affiliate). The section further amends the local television retransmission license under 17 U.S.C. §122 to allow satellite carriers to elect such in-State, adjacent-market network station retransmissions instead of local signals, in accordance with an election under section 346(b) of the Communications Act of 1934. (Thus, satellite subscribers in the specified Wisconsin counties may receive additional in-state network stations from adjacent markets without those counting toward the distant network signal limit.)