---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 531"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "531"
heading: "Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/531"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication"
  - "Subchapter V–A — Cable Communications"
  - "Part II — Use of Cable Channels and Cable Ownership Restrictions"
---

# §531. Cable channels for public, educational, or governmental use

- (a) **Authority to establish requirements with respect to designation or use of channel capacity—** A [franchising authority](/usc/47/522.md?p=10) may establish requirements in a [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9) with respect to the designation or use of [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity for public, educational, or governmental use only to the extent provided in this section.
- (b) **Authority to require designation for public, educational, or governmental use—** A [franchising authority](/usc/47/522.md?p=10) may in its request for proposals require as part of a [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9), and may require as part of a [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5)’s proposal for a [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9) renewal, subject to [section 546 of this title](/usc/47/546.md), that [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity be designated for public, educational, or governmental use, and [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity on institutional networks be designated for educational or governmental use, and may require rules and procedures for the use of the [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity designated pursuant to this section.
- (c) **Enforcement authority—** A [franchising authority](/usc/47/522.md?p=10) may enforce any requirement in any [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9) regarding the providing or use of such [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity. Such enforcement authority includes the authority to enforce any provisions of the [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9) for services, facilities, or equipment proposed by the [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5) which relate to public, educational, or governmental use of [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity, whether or not required by the [franchising authority](/usc/47/522.md?p=10) pursuant to [subsection (b)](#b).
- (d) **Promulgation of rules and procedures—** In the case of any [franchise](/usc/47/522.md?p=9) under which [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity is designated under [subsection (b)](#b), the [franchising authority](/usc/47/522.md?p=10) shall prescribe—
  - (1) rules and procedures under which the [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5) is permitted to use such [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity for the provision of other services if such [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity is not being used for the purposes designated, and
  - (2) rules and procedures under which such permitted use shall cease.
- (e) **Editorial control by cable operator—** Subject to [section 544(d) of this title](/usc/47/544.md?p=d), a [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5) shall not exercise any editorial control over any public, educational, or governmental use of [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity provided pursuant to this section, except a [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5) may refuse to transmit any public access program or portion of a public access program which contains obscenity, indecency, or nudity.
- (f) **“Institutional network” defined—** For purposes of this section, the term “institutional network” means a communication network which is constructed or operated by the [cable operator](/usc/47/522.md?p=5) and which is generally available only to subscribers who are not residential subscribers.

## Source credit

(June 19, 1934, ch. 652, title VI, § 611, as added Pub. L. 98–549, § 2, Oct. 30, 1984, 98 Stat. 2782; Pub. L. 104–104, title V, § 506(a), Feb. 8, 1996, 110 Stat. 136.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

1996—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–104 inserted before period at end “, except a cable operator may refuse to transmit any public access program or portion of a public access program which contains obscenity, indecency, or nudity”.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective 60 days after Oct. 30, 1984, except where otherwise expressly provided, see section 9(a) of Pub. L. 98–549, set out as a note under section 521 of this title.

### Regulations

Pub. L. 102–385, § 10(c), Oct. 5, 1992, 106 Stat. 1486, provided that: “Within 180 days following the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 5, 1992], the Federal Communications Commission shall promulgate such regulations as may be necessary to enable a cable operator of a cable system to prohibit the use, on such system, of any channel capacity of any public, educational, or governmental access facility for any programming which contains obscene material, sexually explicit conduct, or material soliciting or promoting unlawful conduct.”