Alert
Alert
01.26.12
The Comment and Reply Comment dates have been set for the FCC's Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Congressionally-mandated Quadrennial Regulatory Review of the FCC's broadcast ownership rules. Comments are due on March 5, 2012 and Reply Comments are due on April 3, 2012.
The Quadrennial Regulatory Review began in 2010 when the FCC requested comments on a Notice of Inquiry and commissioned a number of academic studies, each focused on a different aspect of the FCC's ownership rules. The NPRM marks the culmination of these efforts, but for the moment, proposes very little change in the Commission's rules. Instead, the substance of the NPRM consists largely of a number of questions posed by the FCC about the future of the broadcast industry. This means that significant changes could still result from this proceeding, depending upon the conclusions reached by the FCC with regard to these questions. A prime example of this is the FCC's inquiry into many of the contractual arrangements broadcasters rely upon to operate. In particular, the NPRM takes aim at Local News Sharing Agreements, Shared Services Agreements, and other arrangements in which broadcasters work cooperatively to reduce operating costs. For those interested in filing comments, or just understanding what is at stake, below is an in-depth look at the FCC's tentative conclusions and the areas on which it seeks comment.
Download: FCC Sets Comment Dates for Broadcast Ownership Rule Review