United States Court of Appeals for The
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
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iOH 0DWWKH ) :RRG )UHH 3UHVV 0DL 6WUHHW 6LWH )ORUHFH 0 7HOHSKRH WWRUQ IRU U U Federal Communications Commission FCC 17-156 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of ) ) 2014 Quadrennial Regulatory Review – Review of ) MB Docket No. 14-50 the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and ) Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of ) the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ) ) 2010 Quadrennial Regulatory Review – Review of ) MB Docket No. 09-182 the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and ) Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of ) the Telecommunications Act of 1996 ) ) Promoting Diversification of Ownership ) MB Docket No. 07-294 In the Broadcasting Services ) ) Rules and Policies Concerning Attribution of Joint ) MB Docket No. 04-256 Sales Agreements in Local Television Markets ) ) Rules and Policies to Promote New Entry and ) MB Docket No. 17-289 Ownership Diversity in the Broadcasting Services ) ORDER ON RECONSIDERATION AND NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING Adopted: November 16, 2017 Released: November 20, 2017 Comment Date: (60 days after publication in the Federal Register) Reply Comment Date: (90 days after publication in the Federal Register) By the Commission: Chairman Pai and Commissioners O’Rielly and Carr issuing separate statements; Commissioners Clyburn and Rosenworcel dissenting and issuing separate statements. TABLE OF CONTENTS Heading Paragraph # I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 1 II. BACKGROUND.................................................................................................................................... 4 III. MEDIA OWNERSHIP RULES............................................................................................................. 8 A. Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule................................................................................. 8 B. Radio/Television Cross-Ownership Rule....................................................................................... 49 C. Local Television Ownership Rule ................................................................................................. 66 D. Local Radio Ownership Rule......................................................................................................... 86 IV. TELEVISION JOINT SALES AGREEMENTS.................................................................................. 96 V. SHARED SERVICE AGREEMENTS............................................................................................... 114 VI. DIVERSITY/INCUBATOR PROGRAM.......................................................................................... 121 VII. NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING ..................................................................................... 126 VIII. PROCEDURAL MATTERS ........................................................................................................... 146 IX. ORDERING CLAUSES..................................................................................................................... 153 APPENDIX A – Final Rule Changes APPENDIX B – Supplemental Final Regulatory Flexibility Analysis APPENDIX C – Initial Regulatory Flexibility Analysis 9802 Federal Communications Commission FCC 17-156 I. INTRODUCTION 1. Today we end the 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review proceeding. In doing so, the Commission not only acknowledges the dynamic nature of the media marketplace, but takes concrete steps to update its broadcast ownership rules to reflect reality. Indeed, the Commission plainly stated in its 2010 NOI initiating this proceeding that the broadcast ownership rules required a fresh look in light of “[d]ramatic changes in the marketplace,”1 yet the resulting Second Report and Order issued in August 2016 manifestly failed to adopt any meaningful changes to these rules—and effectively tightened the Local Television Ownership Rule.2 In this Order on Reconsideration, we refuse to ignore the changed landscape and the mandates of Section 202(h), and we deliver on the Commission’s promise to adopt broadcast ownership rules that reflect the present, not the past. Because of our actions today to relax and eliminate outdated rules, broadcasters and local newspapers will at last be given a greater opportunity to compete and thrive in the vibrant and fast-changing media marketplace. And in the end, it is consumers that will benefit, as broadcast stations and newspapers—those media outlets most committed to serving their local communities—will be better able to invest in local news and public interest programming and improve their overall service to those communities. 2. Accordingly, in today’s Order on Reconsideration, we grant in part and deny in in part, as set forth herein, various petitions for reconsideration3 of the Second Report and Order. Specifically, we (1) eliminate the Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule; (2) eliminate the Radio/Television Cross- Ownership Rule; (3) revise the Local Television Ownership Rule to eliminate the Eight-Voices Test and to modify the Top-Four Prohibition to better reflect the competitive conditions in local markets; (4) decline to modify the market definitions relied on in the Local Radio Ownership Rule, but provide a presumption for certain embedded market transactions; (5) eliminate the attribution rule for television joint sales agreements (JSAs); and (6) retain the disclosure requirement for shared service agreements (SSAs) involving commercial television stations. 1 2010 Quadrennial Regulatory Review – Review of the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Notice of Inquiry, 25 FCC Rcd 6086, 6087, para. 1 (2010) (NOI). 2 See generally 2014 Quadrennial Regulatory Review – Review of the Commission’s Broadcast Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 et al., Second Report and Order, 31 FCC Rcd 9864 (2016) (Second Report and Order). 3 Petition of Connoisseur Media for Reconsideration of the 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review Second Report and Order, MB Docket Nos. 14-50 et al. (filed Dec. 1, 2016) (Connoisseur Petition); Petition of the National Association of Broadcasters for Reconsideration of the 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review Second Report and Order, MB Docket Nos. 14-50 et al. (filed Dec. 1, 2016) (NAB Petition); Petition of Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc. for Reconsideration of the 2010/2014 Quadrennial Review Second Report and Order, MB Docket Nos. 14-50 et al. (filed Dec. 1, 2016) (Nexstar Petition). In addition, various parties filed ex parte comments—well after the filing deadline for petitions for reconsideration—urging the Commission to address other aspects of the Second Report and Order that were not raised in any petition for reconsideration. See, e.g., Letter from Barry A. Friedman, Thompson Hine, Counsel for Dick Broadcasting Company, Inc. of Tennessee, to Marlene H. Dortch, Secretary, FCC, MB Docket Nos. 14-50, 09- 182, and 07-294, at 2 (filed Mar. 24, 2017) (Dicks Broadcasting Mar. 24, 2017 Ex Parte) (stating that “continued applicability of the [AM/FM] subcaps warrants a hard look from the Commission”). In effect, these ex parte filings are untimely petitions for reconsideration, which we lack discretion to consider absent extraordinary circumstances not present here. See 47 U.S.C. § 405(a) (“A petition for reconsideration must be filed within thirty days from the date upon which public notice