[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 118 (Monday, June 22, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Page 29485]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-14597]



[[Page 29485]]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[MB Docket Nos. 07-294; 06-121; 02-277; 04-228; MM Docket Nos. 01-235; 
01-317; 00-244; DA 09-1221]


Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting 
Services

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Media Bureau Order suspends the biennial filing 
requirement for the existing Form 323 for licensees who would otherwise 
be required to file their biennial ownership report between May 29, 
2009 and November 1, 2009. There are three filing dates between May 29, 
2009 and November 1, 2009: June 1, August 1, and October 1.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mania Baghdadi, (202) 418-2330; Amy 
Brett (202) 418-2330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On May 5, 2009, the Commission released a 
Report and Order and Fourth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in 
its Diversification of Ownership proceeding (``Order''). In pertinent 
part, the Order revised certain requirements for filing FCC Form 323, 
which provides ownership information about broadcast facilities. The 
Order enlarged the class of broadcast licensees required to file FCC 
Form 323 biennially, and it substituted a uniform biennial filing 
deadline for the current system of rolling filing deadlines that are 
tied to a station's renewal anniversary. Pursuant to these new 
requirements, all commercial full power AM, FM, and TV stations; LPTV 
and Class A stations; and entities with attributable or reportable 
interests in them, are required to file the revised FCC Form 323 on or 
before November 1, 2009, with information current as of October 1, 
2009, and to file biennially thereafter. For purposes of the biennial 
filing requirement, the Order provided that certain nonattributable 
interests would be reportable: (1) Minority voting stock interests in a 
corporation with a single majority shareholder, and (2) interests in an 
eligible entity that would otherwise be attributable under the Equity/
Debt Plus attribution rule.
    On its own motion, the Commission's Media Bureau is suspending the 
filing requirement for the existing Form 323 for licensees that would 
otherwise be required to file from May 29, 2009, the date the Media 
Bureau Order was released, through November 1, 2009. The Media Bureau 
believes that it is in the public interest to relieve filers from the 
burden of filing the existing Form 323 within the six months prior to 
the new November 1 filing requirement. On balance, the burden of 
requiring licensees and other entities to file twice within a six-month 
period outweighs the benefit of receiving the ownership information. In 
addition, a suspension of the filing requirement will not impair the 
ability to assess the state of minority or female ownership. In the 
event that the OMB approval for the new Form 323 has not been received 
by the November 1, 2009 filing deadline, all filers who would have been 
required to file Form 323 between May 29, 2009 and November 1, 2009, 
will be required to file the existing Form 323 by November 1, 2009.
    Accordingly, it is ordered, that pursuant to authority under 
sections 4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. 154 and 303(r) and pursuant to authority delegated to the 
Media Bureau pursuant to Sec. Sec.  0.204 and 0.283 of the Commission's 
rules, 47 CFR 0.204 and 0.283, a suspension of the filing requirements 
as described in the Media Bureau Order is granted, sua sponte.

Federal Communications Commission.
Robert H. Ratcliffe,
Acting Chief, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. E9-14597 Filed 6-19-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P