---
kind: "section"
citation: "47 U.S.C. § 537a"
title: "47"
title_heading: "Telecommunications"
number: "537a"
heading: "Carriage of certain programming"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/47/537a"
units:
  - "Chapter 5 — Wire or Radio Communication"
  - "Subchapter V–A — Cable Communications"
  - "Part II — Use of Cable Channels and Cable Ownership Restrictions"
---

# §537a. Carriage of certain programming

- (a) **Definitions—** In this section—
  - (1) the term “local commercial television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42)” has the meaning given the term in [section 534(h) of this title](/usc/47/534.md?p=h);
  - (2) the term “[multichannel video programming distributor](/usc/47/522.md?p=13)” has the meaning given the term in [section 522 of this title](/usc/47/522.md);
  - (3) the term “qualified noncommercial educational television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42)” has the meaning given the term in [section 535(l)](/usc/47/535.md?p=l) of this title;
  - (4) the term “retransmission consent” means the authority granted to a [multichannel video programming distributor](/usc/47/522.md?p=13) under [section 325(b) of this title](/usc/47/325.md?p=b) to retransmit the signal of a television [broadcast station](/usc/47/153.md?p=6); and
  - (5) the term “television [broadcast station](/usc/47/153.md?p=6)” has the meaning given the term in section 76.66(a) of title 47, Code of Federal Regulations.
- (b) **Carriage of certain content—** Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a [multichannel video programming distributor](/usc/47/522.md?p=13) may not be directly or indirectly required, including as a condition of obtaining retransmission consent, to—
  - (1) carry non-incidental video content from a local commercial television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), qualified noncommercial educational television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), or television [broadcast station](/usc/47/153.md?p=6) to the extent that such content is owned, controlled, or financed (in whole or in part) by the Government of the Russian Federation; or
  - (2) lease, or otherwise make available, [channel](/usc/47/522.md?p=4) capacity to any [person](/usc/47/522.md?p=15) for the provision of [video programming](/usc/47/522.md?p=20) that is owned, controlled, or financed (in whole or in part) by the Government of the Russian Federation.
- (c) **Rule of construction—** Nothing in this section may be construed as applying to the editorial use by a local commercial television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), qualified noncommercial educational television [station](/usc/47/153.md?p=42), or television [broadcast station](/usc/47/153.md?p=6) of programming that is owned, controlled, or financed (in whole or in part) by the Government of the Russian Federation.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, § 1093, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1611.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Codification

Section was enacted as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018, and not as part of the Communications Act of 1934 which comprises this chapter.