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Friday, April 26, 2013

FCC: Foreign Ownsership Comments Due April 30

In August 2012, the Coalition for Broadcast Investment (CBI), a group comprising national broadcast networks, radio and television station licensees, and community and consumer organizations, filed a letter with the FCC requesting clarification of the foreign ownership rules contained in Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act.

Specifically, CBI requested clarification that "the FCC will conduct a substantive, facts, and circumstances evaluation of proposals for foreign investment in excess of 25 percent in the parent company of a broadcast licensee...." If adopted, this approach would represent a marked change of course for the FCC, which has in the past "categorically refused" to consider transactions involving investment in broadcasters above the 25% benchmark, according to CBI.

According to a story at mondaq.com, CBI pointed out that ending the presumption would place broadcasters "on the same footing" as other industry participants, facilitating crucial access to capital in a market where they face increasing competition for consumers.

In February 2013, the FCC responded with a Public Notice (MB Docket No. 13-50) soliciting comments on CBI's request. The first round of comments were due April 15, and a review of those submissions reveals a uniform desire for the FCC to relax the de facto 25% indirect cap applied to foreign ownership in broadcasters.

The question remains whether the FCC will hear the pleas of the broadcasters for regulatory parity. On the one hand, broadcasters may have reason for optimism if the FCC's recent Public Notice (IB Docket No. 11-133) stating that it has streamlined its policies and procedures for reviewing foreign ownership of common carrier wireless licenses and certain aeronautical radio licenses is any indication. On the other hand, the broadcast industry has a long history of special concern in Congress due to its potential to influence the outcome of elections, and the FCC has not yet heard from Congress on these issues.

Final comments on the proposal are due at the FCC on April 30.

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