[Federal Register Volume 65, Number 46 (Wednesday, March 8, 2000)]
[Rules and Regulations]
[Pages 12135-12136]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 00-5410]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 76

[MM Docket No. 92-264; FCC 00-12]


Implementation of Section 11(c) of the Cable Television Consumer 
Protection and Competition Act of 1992; Horizontal Ownership Limits

AGENCY:  Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION:  Final rule; reconsideration of stay.

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SUMMARY:  This document announces that, on its own motion, the 
Commission reconsiders the conditions under which it will lift its 
voluntarily-imposed stay of the horizontal ownership rules, 47 CFR 
76.503, adopted on October 8, 1999.

DATES:  47 CFR 76.503 (a) through (f) as revised and stayed at 64 FR 
67198 (Dec. 1, 1999) continue to be stayed until the U.S. Court of 
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issues a decision 
upholding the constitutionality of Section 613(f)(1)(A) of the Federal 
Communications Act, as amended. The FCC will publish a document in the 
Federal Register announcing the action of the Court and the date 
affected parties must comply with the regulations.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:  Darryl Cooper at (202) 418-7200 or 
via Internet at [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Commission's Order 
on Reconsideration (Order) in MM Docket No. 92-264; FCC 00-12, adopted 
January 12, 2000, and released January 19, 2000. The complete text of 
this Order is available for inspection and copying during normal 
business hours in the FCC Reference Center, 445 12th Street, SW, 
Washington, DC 20554, or

[[Page 12136]]

may be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, International 
Transcription Service (``ITS''), (202) 857-3800, 1231 20th Street, NW, 
Washington, DC 20036, or may be reviewed via Internet at http://
www.fcc.gov/csb/. For copies in alternative formats such as Braille, 
audio cassette or large print, please contact Sheila Ray at ITS.

Synopsis of Order on Reconsideration

    1. On its own motion, the Commission reconsiders the conditions 
under which it will lift its voluntarily-imposed stay of the horizontal 
ownership rules, 47 CFR 76.503. These rules were adopted and stayed in 
part on October 8, 1999 at 64 FR 67198 (Dec. 1, 1999).
    2. In the Second Order on Reconsideration in this proceeding, the 
Commission continued its stay of the effective date of the horizontal 
ownership rules pending a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
District of Columbia Circuit on challenges to the horizontal ownership 
rules and Section 613(f)(1)(A) of the Communications Act, as amended, 
47 U.S.C. 533(f)(1)(A). The Commission decided that parties exceeding 
the horizontal limit must come into compliance with the rules within 60 
days of a judicial decision upholding the rules and the statute.
    3. The statute was challenged in the U.S. District Court, and the 
rules were challenged in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of 
Columbia Circuit. In 1993, the district court held the statute 
unconstitutional. The district court also decided that, because ``there 
is substantial ground for difference of opinion'' as to the 
constitutionality of the underlying statute, it would stay its 
proceedings and the issuance of any relief to the plaintiffs pending 
appeal. In August 1996, the D.C. Circuit Court consolidated the appeal 
of the district court decision and the D.C. Circuit Court challenge. 
The D.C. Circuit Court held the consolidated proceedings in abeyance 
pending the Commission's decision on the petitions for reconsideration 
of the rules. Once the Commission issued the Second Order on 
Reconsideration, the D.C. Circuit Court lifted its stay on its 
consideration of the consolidated proceedings. The appeal is currently 
pending.
    4. In the Third Report and Order in this proceeding, the Commission 
again declined to lift its stay of the horizontal ownership rules. In 
fact, the Commission, on its own motion, held that the horizontal 
ownership rules will become effective immediately upon the issuance of 
a decision upholding the rules and the statute, and that affected 
parties must come into compliance within 180 days after the court 
issues its mandate. The Commission reasoned that 180 days, rather than 
60 days, was a more reasonable amount of time for affected parties to 
dispose of property necessary to come into compliance with the rules.
    5. On November 2, 1999, the D.C. Circuit issued an order 
deconsolidating the challenge to the rules and the statute. The court 
allowed the challenge to the statute to proceed, but held the challenge 
to the rules in abeyance.
    6. The Commission originally stayed its rules in deference to the 
district court's decision and to give the D.C. Circuit Court an 
opportunity to review that decision. Now that the challenge to the 
rules has been separated from the challenge to statute, it is no longer 
necessary to maintain the stay while the challenge to the rules remains 
in abeyance or otherwise under consideration by the court. Instead, the 
Commission holds that the horizontal ownership rules will become 
effective upon the issuance of a decision upholding the statute. 
Affected parties must come into compliance with the rules within 180 
days following the issuance of that decision.
    7. The Commission has decided to use the date on which the court 
decision issues, not the date on which the mandate issues, as the 
triggering event for affected parties to come into compliance with the 
rules. Thus, affected parties are expected to come into compliance with 
these rules within 180 days after the issuance of a court decision 
upholding the statute. The Commission finds that requiring affected 
parties to come into compliance with its rules within 180 after the 
issuance of a court decision provides more certainty to the public and 
affected parties. There is potentially a wide variance between the date 
a decision issues and the date the mandate issues. The Commission finds 
that the issuance date of the court decision is a superior benchmark 
for lifting the stay and requiring parties to come into compliance with 
the rules.
    8. Accordingly, it is Ordered that the Commission's horizontal 
ownership rules are stayed until the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. 
Circuit issues a decision upholding the constitutionality of Section 
613(f)(1)(A) of the Act, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 533(f)(1)(A). Parties 
not in compliance with the rules on the date the U.S. Court of Appeals 
for the D.C. Circuit issues such a decision must come into compliance 
within 180 days.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 00-5410 Filed 3-7-00; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P