Changes
The FCC voted on THURSDAY (2/14) to eliminate the Broadcast Mid-Term Report (Form 397) filing requirement. The form, used in mid-term reviews of EEO practices, duplicates information in stations' public files. But the Commission will also issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to look at other options to collect EEO information, some of which has not been collected for 15 years. No details of the NPRM were disclosed, but Chairman AJIT PAI indicated that it will be issued within 90 days.
In addition, the Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the proposals to streamline and alter the rules and procedures for licensing and resolving mutually exclusive applications for new noncommercial educational broadcast and low power FM stations.
The proposals include eliminating the requirement that NCE applicants amend their governing documents to add a pledge that localism/diversity be maintained to get points as “established local applicants” and for “diversity of ownership”; change the tie-breaker process and reduce the need for mandatory time-sharing; extend NCE construction permits from 18 months to a year; allow LPFM CP transfers after an 18-month holding period and eliminate the 3-year holding period for LPFM license assignments.
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