[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 188 (Thursday, September 28, 2006)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 56931-56932]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-8168]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR Part 73

[MB Docket No 06-121; MB Docket No 02-277; FCC 06-93]


2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review; 2002 Biennial Regulatory 
Review--Review of the Commission's Broadcast Ownership Rules

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment period.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Media Bureau extends the comment and 
reply comment period in this proceeding. The Commission seeks comment 
on how to address issues raised by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 
Third Circuit with respect to rules, as adopted or revised in the 2002 
Biennial Review of the Commission's broadcast ownership rules.

DATES: Comments are due October 23, 2006, and Reply Comments are due on 
December 21, 2006.

ADDRESSES: You may submit comments, identified by MB Docket No 06-121 
and/or MB Docket No 06-277, by any of the following methods:
     Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. 
Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     Federal Communications Commission's Web Site: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.
     E-mail: [email protected]. Include the following words in the 
body of the message, ``get form.'' A sample form and directions will be 
sent in response.
     Mail: Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal 
Service Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East 
Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743. U.S. Postal Service first-
class, Express, and Priority mail should be addressed to 445 12th 
Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
     People with Disabilities: Contact the FCC to request 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) by e-mail: [email protected] or phone: 202-418-
0530 or TTY: 202-418-0432.
    For detailed instructions for submitting comments and additional 
information on the rulemaking process, see the SUPPLEMENTARY 
INFORMATION section of this document.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mania Baghdadi, Industry Analysis 
Division, Media Bureau, Federal Communications Commission, (202) 418-
2330. Press inquiries should be directed to Rebecca Fisher, (202) 418-
2359, TTY: (202) 418-7365 or (888) 835-5322.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Commission's Order 
in MB Docket No. 06-121, DA 06-1663, adopted and released September 18, 
2006. Pursuant to Sec.  1.415 and 1.419 of the Commission's rules, 47 
CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file comments by October 23, 
2006 and reply comments on or before the dates December 21, 2006. 
Comments may be filed using: (1) The Commission's Electronic Comment 
Filing System (ECFS), (2) the Federal Government's eRulemaking Portal, 
or (3) by filing paper copies. See Electronic Filing of

[[Page 56932]]

Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121, May 1, 1998.
     Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://www.fcc.gov/cgb/ecfs/ 
or the Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www.regulations.gov. Filers 
should follow the instructions provided on the website for submitting 
comments.
     For ECFS filers, if multiple docket or rulemaking numbers 
appear in the caption of this proceeding, filers must transmit one 
electronic copy of the comments for each docket or rulemaking number 
referenced in the caption. In completing the transmittal screen, filers 
should include their full name, U.S. Postal Service mailing address, 
and the applicable docket or rulemaking number. Parties may also submit 
an electronic comment by Internet e-mail. To get filing instructions, 
filers should send an e-mail to [email protected], and include the following 
words in the body of the message, ``get form.'' A sample form and 
directions will be sent in response.
     Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must 
file an original and four copies of each filing. If more than one 
docket or rulemaking number appears in the caption of this proceeding, 
filers must submit two additional copies for each additional docket or 
rulemaking number. Filings can be sent by hand or messenger delivery, 
by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. 
Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in 
receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). All filings must be addressed to 
the Commission's Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal 
Communications Commission.
     The Commission's contractor will receive hand-delivered or 
messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission's Secretary at 236 
Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Suite 110, Washington, DC 20002. The filing 
hours at this location are 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. All hand deliveries must be 
held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be 
disposed of before entering the building.
     Commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service 
Express Mail and Priority Mail) must be sent to 9300 East Hampton 
Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.
     U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority 
mail should be addressed to 445 12th Street, SW., Washington, DC 20554.
    People with Disabilities: To request materials in accessible 
formats for people with disabilities (braille, large print, electronic 
files, audio format), send an e-mail to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (tty).

Synopsis of the Order

    1. On July 24, 2006, the Commission released its Further Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making (FNPRM), 71 FR 45511, August 9, 2006, in the 
above-captioned proceeding. The current deadlines to file comments and 
reply comments in this proceeding are September 22, 2006, and November 
21, 2006, respectively.
    2. In the FNPRM, the Commission seeks comment on how to address the 
issues raised by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in 
Prometheus v. FCC with regard to six of the Commission's broadcast 
ownership rules and initiates the 2006 quadrennial review of the 
Commission's media ownership rules. We are seeking comment on each of 
the ownership rules remanded by the court, and are encouraging parties 
to submit comments that include empirical evidence, as well as sound 
economic theory.
    3. On September 14, 2006, ION Media Networks, Inc. (ION) and Free 
Press, et al. (Free Press) filed separate motions asking the Commission 
to extend the comment and reply comment deadlines. Both ION and Free 
Press assert that they need additional time to complete research and 
analysis and to compile data necessary to fully address the complex 
issues raised in the FNPRM. In addition, Free Press suggests that an 
extension of time would allow parties to respond to issues raised at 
the Commission's upcoming hearing on media ownership, scheduled to take 
place on October 3, 2006, in Los Angeles, California.
    4. We believe that the public interest and our goal of assembling a 
full record in this proceeding would be best served by granting an 
extension of the comment and reply comment filing deadlines so that 
parties may have sufficient time to conduct studies and compile data 
that will inform our decision in this proceeding. The new deadline for 
comments is October 23, 2006, and the new deadline for reply comments 
is December 21, 2006.
    5. Accordingly, it is ordered that ION Media Networks, Inc.'s 
Motion for Extension of Time and Free Press, et al.'s Joint Motion for 
Extension of Time filed in the above-captioned proceeding are granted 
to the extent stated in this Order.
    6. It is further ordered that the deadline for filing comments in 
this proceeding is extended to October 23, 2006.
    7. It is further ordered that the deadline for filing reply 
comments in this proceeding is extended to December 21, 2006.

Federal Communications Commission.
Donna C. Gregg,
Chief, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 06-8168 Filed 9-27-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P