[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 202 (Thursday, October 18, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Page 52921]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-26175]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[MM Docket No. 96-197]
RIN 3060-AG53


Newspaper/Radio Cross-Ownership Waiver Policy

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; termination of proceeding.

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SUMMARY: The Commission terminates this proceeding because it has 
initiated a new rulemaking proceeding that considers broader issues 
that subsume those raised in the proceeding being terminated.

DATES: The Commission terminates MM Docket No. 96-197 effective October 
18, 2001.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Eric J. Bash, (202) 418-2130 or 
[email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission began this proceeding in 1996 
when it released a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) 61 FR 53694 (October 15, 
1996) in MM Docket No. 96-197. The NOI asked whether the Commission 
should change its policies regarding waiver of the newspaper/broadcast 
cross-ownership rule for newspaper/radio combinations. The Commission 
now has released a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), 66 FR 50991 
(October 5, 2001), that asks whether the Commission should eliminate or 
modify the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule. As a result, the 
NPRM seeks comment not just on whether the Commission should change its 
waiver policies for newspaper/radio combinations, but also on whether 
the Commission should change its rule and/or waiver policies for 
newspaper/radio and newspaper/television combinations. The issues 
raised in the NPRM therefore subsume those raised in the NOI. As a 
result, the Commission terminates the NOI proceeding. In doing so, the 
Commission recognizes that it has, in a handful of cases, waived the 
newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule, subject to the outcome of the 
NOI. All such waivers will now be subject to the outcome of the NPRM.
    Ordering Clauses: The Commission terminates MM Docket No. 96-197.

Federal Communications Commission.
Magalie Roman Salas,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 01-26175 Filed 10-17-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P