A compromise plan for making joint sales agreements...

A compromise plan for making joint sales agreements attributable put forth by NAB is just a “restatement” of current JSA and local marketing agreement rules, Free Press told FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn in a letter Monday (http://bit.ly/1mvlKk4). The NAB proposed letting JSAs remain unattributed if they can demonstrate majority control over the involved station by the licensee and a public interest benefit. “NAB’s proposal seeks to change nothing,” Free Press said. “JSA participants would be exempt from attribution if they continue to operate under their JSAs exactly as they are currently operating and if they do one thing as simple as air the weather, show that one of the stations multicasts, or do not let the station fall into disrepair by spending routine capital,” Free Press said. “Thus, 100% of today’s JSAs would be granted an exemption.” In a meeting with Chairman Tom Wheeler Friday (http://bit.ly/1j4Ux4P), NAB President Gordon Smith said the NAB proposal’s goal was “not simply to codify current FCC practices” but to allow broadcasters to show that they retained “de facto control” of their station and that JSAs are in the public interest. That point was also echoed in an NAB meeting with Clyburn’s staff, according to an ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/1iBgmYT). A planned waiver process to allow deserving arrangements to remain unattributed is not sufficient, NAB said. “Waivers are inherently uncertain and likely to create obstacles to the investment needed to purchase or run a television station,” NAB said. “Particularly with no timeframe for action, a waiver process would not serve the public interest."