PRIA Logo™
Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and RadiotelegraphsRelease 119-110

§557 Existing Franchises

Title 47 › CHAPTER 5 — WIRE OR RADIO COMMUNICATION › SUBCHAPTER V–A — CABLE COMMUNICATIONS › Part IV — Miscellaneous Provisions › § 557

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Existing franchise terms that were already in place on the effective date of this subchapter — including terms about public, educational, or government use of channel space — and any State law or rule about those uses that was in effect on October 30, 1984, must continue to apply. They stay in force only as long as they follow this subchapter and only for the remaining term the franchise had on that effective date. A franchise counts as "in effect" on that date if it was granted on or before that date.

Full Legal Text

Title 47, §557

Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The provisions of—
(1)any franchise in effect on the effective date of this subchapter, including any such provisions which relate to the designation, use, or support for the use of channel capacity for public, educational, or governmental use, and
(2)any law of any State (as defined in section 153 of this title) in effect on October 30, 1984, or any regulation promulgated pursuant to such law, which relates to such designation, use or support of such channel capacity,
shall remain in effect, subject to the express provisions of this subchapter, and for not longer than the then current remaining term of the franchise as such franchise existed on such effective date.
(b)For purposes of subsection (a) and other provisions of this subchapter, a franchise shall be considered in effect on the effective date of this subchapter if such franchise was granted on or before such effective date.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

For “the

Effective Date

of this subchapter” and “such

Effective Date

”, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (b), as 60 days after Oct. 30, 1984, except where otherwise expressly provided, see section 9(a) of Pub. L. 98–549, set out as an

Effective Date

note under section 521 of this title.

Amendments

1996—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 104–104 substituted “section 153” for “section 153(v)”.

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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

47 U.S.C. § 557

Title 47, Telegraphs, Telephones, and Radiotelegraphs

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110