The FCC dismissed an application for review by Access on the Media Bureau’s dismissal of its low-power FM station application in San Diego. Access acknowledged that the dismissal was valid under existing law and policy, but argued “that the international third-channel spacing requirements have proven to be unnecessary,” the FCC said in a memorandum opinion and order (http://bit.ly/1xM5j4h). Access asked the agency to refrain from dismissing the application, to let the FCC encourage Mexico to change its spacing requirements, the commission said. Access never presented to the bureau its argument that the application should be held pending a possible revision of the spacing requirement rule, the FCC said.
The FCC Media Bureau proposed fines for TV stations in Texas for allegedly failing to publicize the existence and location of the stations’ children’s TV programming reports, it said in notices of apparent liability. The bureau proposed a $3,000 fine for NBC Telemundo’s KVDA-TV San Antonio (http://bit.ly/1kp7Qkq), and $1,000 for Centex’s KXXV-TV Waco, Texas, (http://bit.ly/1o9XuE6), it said. The bureau also proposed a $6,000 fine to Midessa Television for failing to timely file the children’s TV programming reports for Texas stations KWAB-TV Big Spring, and KWES-TV Odessa, it said (http://bit.ly/1qtQr7W).
"The time is right” for the FCC to end the newspaper/radio cross-ownership ban, said Delmarva Broadcasting, Lancaster Newspapers (LNP) and Steinman Stations, in a comment posted Wednesday in docket 14-50 responding to the FCC 2014 quadrennial review (http://bit.ly/1tusZMK). Comments are due Aug. 6, after an extension, said an FCC public notice (http://bit.ly/1qLzjPC). Delmarva, a subsidiary of Steinman, operates radio stations in Delaware and northern Maryland but not in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where affiliated company LNP publishes a newspaper, the comment said. The prohibition on cross-ownership “does nothing to provide access to a diversity of viewpoints in this digital age,” said the filing. “Instead, the prohibition inhibits the ability of trained communications professionals from deploying their skills and expertise across multiple distribution channels to the detriment of the public.” The Steinman companies working in concert “create a productive synergy between broadcast and print reporting that provides robust content and useful audience-focused interaction,” the filing said: That “creates considerably more community benefit for a newspaper-radio collaboration, not less."
More than 6,700 letters to the FCC were filed in support of maintaining the sports blackout rule. The letters are part of the “Protect Football on Free TV” campaign led by former NFL player Lynn Swann, the campaign said in a news release. It said the letters were sent through the website www.protectfootballonfreetv.com. The letters make clear that professional football fans “believe that the current rules work and should not be upended,” it said. Many of the letters were posted Tuesday in docket 12-3.
Post-Newsweek Stations is now Graham Media Group. The new name “better reflects the diversity of our creative and innovative company,” Graham Media said Monday in a news release (http://bit.ly/1rw6JxT). Graham Media said it also invested in Storm Pins, a crowdsourced, social weather and breaking news app.
The FCC Media Bureau seeks comment on an Advanced Television Broadcasting Alliance (ATBA) petition for an extension of the expiration date of all outstanding construction permits for new digital low-power TV and TV translator stations to Sept. 1, 2015 -- the deadline for the digital transition, said the bureau in a public notice Friday (http://bit.ly/1kWqI4u). Comments are due Aug. 14, replies, Aug. 29, in docket 03-185.
Sinclair Broadcast will close its deal to buy Allbritton’s TV stations on Aug. 1, Sinclair said in a news release Friday (http://bit.ly/1rEwIVN). A Media Bureau order approving the $962 million deal was released Thursday (CD July 25 p1). Sinclair will acquire KATV Little Rock, Arkansas, KTUL Tulsa, WJLA Washington, WSET-TV Lynchburg, Virginia, and WJLA’s D.C. area cable news channel Newschannel 8.
The FCC Media Bureau denied a reconsideration petition filed by OCC Acquisitions that opposed a channel substitution of Channel 237B for Channel 271B at Charlotte Amalie, Virgin Islands. The bureau substituted alternate Channel 237B for Channel 271B at Charlotte Amalie as suggested by Las Mas Z Radio Corp., the bureau said in a memorandum opinion and order released Friday (http://bit.ly/1onEEK0). OCC argued that the FCC should disregard Las Mas’s expression of interest for Channel 237B “because it is a sham,” the bureau said. The bureau rejects as unsupported speculation OCC’s attack on the bona fides of Las Mas’ expression of interest, it said. Las Mas’ motive in its expression of interest is irrelevant because “the staff has the flexibility to use alternate channels to resolve conflicts and could have proposed it as a solution,” it said.
A “saving grace” of the Sinclair/Allbritton deal is the elimination of the sharing arrangements between the stations involved, said United Church of Christ Policy Adviser Cheryl Leanza in an email Thursday. “Sidecar agreements that transfer the vast majority of the value of a station to the larger company do little to further the goals of media diversity and competition,” Leanza said. It would have been better for Sinclair to transfer the licenses of the stations involved rather than shutter them, Leanza said. However, “at least the sidecar deals which replicate consolidation through loopholes to the FCC’s rules were eliminated,” said the email. The commission should “go further” and address all sharing deals “as rapidly as possible,” she said.
Black Television News Channel and Florida A&M University urged the FCC to grant BTNC a waiver of the ban on ads carried on direct broadcast satellite noncommercial set-aside channels. Doing so would have a positive impact on the partnership between BTNC and FAMU, BTNC said in an ex parte filing posted Thursday in docket 14-77 (http://bit.ly/1oipshd). The partnership would result in 40 internships and mentoring programs in news and media, significant capital improvements to the existing broadcast training facility, and “a steady outlet for news serving an underserved audience,” BTNC said. The entities also reiterated the FCC’s obligations under the Communications Act “to promote a diversity of media voices,” it said. The filing pertains to meetings with Commissioners Mignon Clyburn and Mike O'Rielly and staff from the offices of Commissioners Jessica Rosenworcel and Ajit Pai.