FCC Extends Deadline for Ownerhip Comments

The FCC has extended the deadlines for input on its review and rewrite of media ownership rules.

Free Press was one of two parties asking for more time to file comments on the FCC's omnibus review of its media ownership rules. The review combines both a court's remand of a 2003 rule rewrite, and the now-quadrennial, congressionally mandated review of all its rules.

Free Press argued, for one thing, that it would allow for comments that might be prompted by the FCC's first public hearing on its review, which will be held Oct. 3 in Los Angeles.

Comments had been due Sept. 22 and replies to those comments Nov. 21. The new dates are Oct. 23 and Dec. 21.

"We believe that the public interest and our goal of assembling a full record in this proceeding would be best served by granting an extension of the comment and reply comment filing deadlines so that parties may have sufficient time to conduct studies and compile data that will inform our decision in this proceeding, the FCC said Monday.


John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.