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FCC Releases Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Broadcast Ownership Proceeding

July 2006
On July 24, 2006, the FCC released the text of the Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making (“FNPRM”) in the broadcast ownership proceeding that was adopted at the FCC’s June 21, 2006 agenda meeting. The FNPRM encompasses a number of docketed rule makings – a 2006 quadrennial regulatory review, the 2002 biennial regulatory review, cross-ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers, and rules and policies concerning local ownership of television stations and radio stations in the same market including the definition of radio markets. Basically, the FNPRM seeks comment on how the Commission should address the issues raised by the opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Prometheus Radio Project v. FCC, 373 F.3d 372, 382 (3d Cir. 2004), cert. denied, 125 S. Ct. 2902 (2005) (“Prometheus”); whether the media ownership rules are “necessary in the public interest as the result of competition;” and whether they should be changed in any way. Comments in the proceeding are due by September 22, 2006 and reply comments by November 21, 2006.


A PDF version of this entire article can be found at FCC Releases Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in Broadcast Ownership Proceeding.