[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 68 (Wednesday, April 9, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 17395-17396]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-8579]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[MM Docket No. 98-204; DA 03-1046]


Interim Policy Concerning Placement of Equal Employment 
Opportunity Public File Report in a Broadcaster's Public File

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission gives notice of its interim 
policy concerning the deadline for placement of Equal Employment 
Opportunity public file reports in stations' public files. This 
document also gives notice of groups that have filed petitions for 
reconsideration in this matter regarding requirement modifications.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, SW., 
Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Lewis Pulley (202) 418-1456, or Roy 
Boyce (202) 418-1438, Policy Division, Media Bureau.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Public 
Notice, MM Docketa No. 98-204, adopted and released March 31, 2003. The 
complete text of this Public Notice is available for inspection and 
copying during normal business hours in the FCC Reference Center, Room 
CY-A257, 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC and may also be purchased 
from the Commission's copy contractor, Qualex International, Portals 
II, 445 12th Street SW., Room CY-B-402, Washington, DC 20554, telephone 
(202) 863-2893, facsimile (202) 863-2898, or via email 
[email protected].

Synopsis of Public Notice

    1. By this Public Notice the Media Bureau establishes an interim 
policy concerning the enforcement of the requirement of the Equal 
Employment Opportunity (``EEO'') rule--Sec.  73.2080--that a 
broadcaster that is part of an employment unit with five or more full-

[[Page 17396]]

time employees place information concerning its EEO efforts in its 
public file and on its Web site, if it has one. See Sec.  
73.2080(c)(6). Pursuant to that provision, the information is required 
to be placed in the station's public file on the anniversary of the 
date the station is due to file its renewal application. The 
information relates to specified EEO activities engaged in during the 
preceding year.
    2. Petitions for reconsideration have been filed by two groups of 
State Broadcasters Associations urging, among other matters, that the 
requirement should be modified to allow a ten day grace period for the 
specified information to be placed in the public file because 
broadcasters may not have sufficient time to collect and review data 
concerning activities that occur shortly before the renewal filing 
anniversary. The Commission will address the merits of these requests 
in due course. We will adopt an interim enforcement policy of allowing 
a ten day grace period with respect to EEO public file reports due 
April 1, 2003. Thus, licensees that must place an EEO report in their 
public files on April 1, 2003, will comply with the deadline so long as 
the reports are placed in the public file by April 11, 2003.
    3. Thereafter, until such time as the Commission acts on the 
petitions for reconsideration, licensees should place EEO public file 
reports in their public files by the due date. They may, however, base 
their public file reports on activity that concludes up to 10 days 
prior to the due date. Licensees who choose to conclude their reports 
prior to the day before the due date should include any reportable 
information occurring between their cutoff date and the due date in 
next year's public file report.

    Federal Communications Commission.
Marlene H. Dortch,
Secretary.
[FR Doc. 03-8579 Filed 4-8-03; 8:45 am]
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