47 U.S.C. § 537a — Carriage of certain programming

(a) Definitions This section defines five terms used elsewhere in it: 1. "Local commercial television station" has the same meaning as in section 534(h) of this title. 2. "Multichannel video programming distributor" — a cable, satellite, or similar video provider — has the same meaning as in section 522 of this title. 3. "Qualified noncommercial educational television station" has the same meaning as in section 535(l) of this title. 4. "Retransmission consent" means the permission a multichannel video programming distributor needs, under section 325(b) of this title, to retransmit a TV broadcast station's signal. 5. "Television broadcast station" has the same meaning as in section 76.66(a) of title 47 of the Code of Federal Regulations. (b) Carriage of certain content No matter what any other law says, a multichannel video programming distributor cannot be required — directly or indirectly, including as a condition of getting retransmission consent — to do either of these things: 1. Carry non-incidental video content from a local commercial television station, qualified noncommercial educational television station, or television broadcast station, if that content is owned, controlled, or financed, even partly, by the Government of the Russian Federation. 2. Lease or otherwise provide channel capacity to anyone for video programming that is owned, controlled, or financed, even partly, by the Government of the Russian Federation. (c) Rule of construction Nothing in this section limits a local commercial television station's, qualified noncommercial educational television station's, or television broadcast station's own editorial choice to use programming owned, controlled, or financed, even partly, by the Government of the Russian Federation. The restriction in subsection (b) applies to distributors being forced to carry or lease space for such content — it does not stop a station from choosing to air it.