Reply Comments Re: Localism Proceeding (00010665.DOC;1)
Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) Broadcast Localism ) MB Docket No. 04-233 ) ) To: The Commission Reply Comments of Morgan Murphy Media Morgan Murphy Media,1 by counsel, submits these Reply Comments in the Federal Communications Commission’s (“FCC” or “Commission”) ongoing Broadcast Localism docket.2 As noted in its Comments, Morgan Murphy Media urges the Commission not to force broadcasters to devote limited station resources toward unnecessary regulation in the name of “localism.” In its Comments, Morgan Murphy Media has demonstrated that many of the Commission’s proposed regulatory burdens – purportedly designed to promote localism – will instead undermine the extensive efforts that stations in smaller markets have made to provide local service. Local broadcasting is an expensive, technologically challenging and highly competitive enterprise. Imposing the additional burdens proposed in the NPRM will have unintended consequences. Presumably the Commission does not want to unduly increase the economic pressures on smaller market broadcasters, thereby thwarting local service with “a thousand cuts” brought by unnecessary regulation. 1 Morgan Murphy Media includes the following broadcast stations: Television Wisconsin, Inc. (WISC-TV, Madison, WI), QueenB Radio Wisconsin, Inc. (WPVL[AM] & WPVL-FM, Platteville, WI; WGLR[AM] & WGLR- FM, Lancaster, WI; KIYX-FM, Sageville, IA), Spokane Television, Inc. (KXLY-TV, Spokane, WA); QueenB Radio, Inc. (KZZU-FM, Spokane, WA; KEZE-FM, Spokane, WA, KXLY[AM] & KXLY-FM, Spokane WA; KHTQ [FM], Hayden, ID; KVNI [AM], Coeur d’Alene, ID; KXLX[AM], Airway Heights, WA), Apple Valley Broadcasting, Inc. (KAPP[TV], Yakima, WA, KVEW[TV], Kennewick, WA), and QueenB Television, LLC (WKBT[TV], La Crosse, WI).
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