South Carolina General Assembly
117th Session, 2007-2008

Download This Bill in Microsoft Word format

A182, R197, S598

STATUS INFORMATION

General Bill
Sponsors: Senators Campsen, McConnell, Moore, Fair, Grooms, Ritchie, Verdin, Malloy, Bryant and Knotts
Document Path: l:\s-jud\bills\campsen\jud0077.nc.doc

Introduced in the Senate on March 20, 2007
Introduced in the House on April 11, 2007
Last Amended on April 10, 2007
Passed by the General Assembly on February 13, 2008
Became law without Governor's signature, February 28, 2008

Summary: Television Programming Protection Act

HISTORY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS 

     Date      Body   Action Description with journal page number
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
   3/20/2007  Senate  Introduced and read first time SJ-12
   3/20/2007  Senate  Referred to Committee on Judiciary SJ-12
   3/23/2007  Senate  Referred to Subcommittee: Moore (ch), Ford, Mescher, 
                        Rankin, Scott
    4/4/2007  Senate  Committee report: Favorable with amendment Judiciary SJ-6
    4/5/2007  Senate  Amended SJ-30
    4/5/2007  Senate  Read second time SJ-30
    4/9/2007          Scrivener's error corrected
   4/10/2007  Senate  Amended SJ-12
   4/10/2007  Senate  Read third time and sent to House SJ-12
   4/11/2007  House   Introduced and read first time HJ-17
   4/11/2007  House   Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        HJ-17
    2/6/2008  House   Committee report: Favorable Labor, Commerce and Industry 
                        HJ-6
   2/12/2008  House   Read second time HJ-21
   2/13/2008  House   Read third time and enrolled HJ-11
   2/21/2008          Ratified R 197
   2/28/2008          Became law without Governor's signature
    3/5/2008          Copies available
    3/5/2008          Effective date 02/28/08
    3/7/2008          Act No. 182

View the latest legislative information at the LPITS web site

VERSIONS OF THIS BILL

3/20/2007
4/4/2007
4/5/2007
4/9/2007
4/10/2007
2/6/2008

(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A182, R197, S598)

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 4 TO CHAPTER 12, TITLE 58 SO AS TO ENACT THE "TELEVISION PROGRAMMING PROTECTION ACT" TO REQUIRE A CABLE OR VIDEO SERVICE PROVIDER TO BLOCK ALL VIDEO AND AUDIO ON ANY CHANNEL THAT A SUBSCRIBER HAS NOT PURCHASED UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Citation of the act

SECTION    1.    This act is known and may be cited as the "Television Programming Protection Act".

Television Programming Protection Act

SECTION    2.    Chapter 12, Title 58 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Article 4

Television Programming Protection Act

Section 58-12-500.    (A)    Except as provided in subsection (C), a cable or video service provider that uses digital transmission technology to deliver cable or video programming must completely block all video and audio on any channel that a subscriber has not purchased at no charge to the subscriber.

(B)    A cable or video service provider that uses analog transmission technology to deliver cable or video programming must provide notice to its subscribers that informs the subscriber that, upon request by the subscriber, the cable or video service provider will block all video and audio on any channel that the subscriber has not purchased at no charge to the subscriber. The notice must be given to current subscribers by a bill insert, by separate mailing, or by electronic notice. Within five days of receiving a subscriber's request, the cable or video service provider must block all video and audio on any channel that the subscriber has not purchased. The time frames stated herein shall not apply if the cable or video service provider is unable to comply with them due to circumstances beyond the cable or video service provider's control.

(C)    A cable or video service provider that intends to deliver channels to its subscribers on a promotional basis shall provide its subscribers advanced notice of its intent to do so and shall inform them that, upon a subscriber's request, all video and audio on such channels can be completely blocked. Unless a subscriber makes such a request in the manner prescribed by the provider, a cable or video service provider may, on a promotional basis, deliver to a subscriber one or more channels the subscriber has not purchased.

Section 58-12-510.    When a subscriber notifies the cable or video service provider that he wishes to block video and audio and one or more blocked channels are transmitted due to equipment failure of the cable or video service provider, the cable or video service provider that uses digital transmission technology to deliver cable or video programming must immediately block the channels. When a subscriber notifies the cable or video service provider that he wishes to block video and audio and one or more blocked channels are transmitted due to equipment failure of the cable or video service provider, the cable or video service provider that uses analog transmission technology to deliver cable or video programming must block the channel within forty-eight hours after the subscriber notifies the cable or video service provider of the failed blocking. The time frames stated herein shall not apply if the cable or video service provider is unable to comply with them due to circumstances beyond the cable or video service provider's control."

Time effective

SECTION    3.    This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.

Ratified the 21st day of February, 2008.

Became law without the signature of the Governor -- 2/28/08.

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This web page was last updated on Monday, October 10, 2011 at 1:28 P.M.