[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 237 (Monday, December 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 73461-73462]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-29768]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

[MB Docket Nos. 09-182 and 07-294; DA 12-1946]


Commission Seeks Comment on Broadcast Ownership Report

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice; solicitation of comments.

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SUMMARY: This document solicits comment on data contained in the Media 
Bureau's recently released report on the ownership of commercial 
broadcast stations, which provides detailed information by race, 
ethnicity, and gender concerning ownership of commercial television, 
radio, Class A television, and low-power television stations.

DATES: Comments may be filed on or before December 26, 2012, and reply 
comments may be filed on or before January 4, 2013.

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

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hillary DeNigro, Industry Analysis 
Division, Media Bureau, FCC, (202) 418-2330.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a synopsis of the Commission's 
Public Notice in MB Docket Nos. 09-182, 07-294, DA 12-1946, released 
December 3, 2012. The complete text of the document is available for 
inspection and copying during normal business hours in the FCC 
Reference Center, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20554, and may 
also be purchased from the Commission's copy contractor, BCPI, Inc., 
Portals II, 445 12th Street SW., Washington, DC 20054. Customers may 
contact BCPI, Inc. at their Web site http://www.bcpi.com or call 1-800-
378-3160.

Synopsis of the Public Notice

    1. The Public Notice offers an opportunity for additional comment 
on data contained in the Media Bureau's recently released report on the 
ownership of commercial broadcast stations (``Ownership Report''). The 
Ownership Report provides detailed information by race, ethnicity, and 
gender concerning ownership of commercial television, radio, Class A 
television, and low-power television stations.
    2. As the Commission has long recognized, minorities and women own 
broadcast stations in disproportionately small numbers. This fact has 
been well established in our media ownership docket, including in the 
2009 biennial ownership data detailed in the NPRM prior to the release 
of the final Ownership Report. The recently released Ownership Report 
confirms that minority and female ownership numbers remain low and 
provides more detailed ownership figures. These data are part of the 
record and have been considered in our current quadrennial review and, 
along with additional data gathered in subsequent biennial filings, 
will be considered in our succeeding quadrennial reviews.
    3. The Ownership Report represents the latest step in the 
Commission's ongoing efforts to collect and publicly release minority 
and female ownership data. As explained in the NPRM, the Commission has 
sought actively in recent years to improve its collection and analysis 
of broadcast ownership information. These initiatives include 
improvements to the reliability and utility of the data reported in FCC 
Form 323. Although refinements to the

[[Page 73462]]

collection and assessment of these data are ongoing, the recently 
released Ownership Report signifies a substantial improvement in 
minority and female ownership data. We anticipate going forward that 
these and additional ownership reports will provide useful periodic 
``snapshots'' of minority and female ownership in the broadcast 
industry. We expect that our continuing efforts to reform and refine 
our ownership data collection will yield more and better data to 
support trend analyses in the future.
    4. The Ownership Report was released to the public on November 14, 
2012 and parties have submitted material in the record concerning the 
data. Several parties have requested an additional, formal opportunity 
to comment on the Ownership Report. Thus, while this proceeding has 
provided numerous opportunities for public input and participation, we 
will establish a further comment cycle for this limited purpose. 
Comments are due December 26, 2012; reply comments are due January 4, 
2013.

Procedural Matters

    5. Ex Parte Rules. This proceeding will be treated as ``permit but 
disclose'' for purposes of the Commission's ex parte rules.\1\ As a 
result of the permit-but-disclose status of this proceeding, ex parte 
presentations will be governed by the procedures set forth in Section 
1.1206 of the Commission's rules applicable to non-restricted 
proceedings.\2\ Persons making ex parte presentations must file a copy 
of any written presentation or a memorandum summarizing any oral 
presentation within two business days after the presentation (unless a 
different deadline applicable to the Sunshine period applies).
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    \1\ 47 CFR 1.1200, 1.1206.
    \2\ 47 CFR 1.1206.
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    6. Persons making oral ex parte presentations are reminded that 
memoranda summarizing the presentation must (1) list all persons 
attending or otherwise participating in the meeting at which the ex 
parte presentation was made, and (2) summarize all data presented and 
arguments made during the presentation. If the presentation consisted 
in whole or in part of the presentation of data or arguments already 
reflected in the presenter's written comments, memoranda or other 
filings in the proceeding, the presenter may provide citations to such 
data or arguments in his or her prior comments, memoranda, or other 
filings (specifying the relevant page and/or paragraph numbers where 
such data or arguments can be found) in lieu of summarizing them in the 
memorandum. Documents shown or given to Commission staff during ex 
parte meetings are deemed to be written ex parte presentations and must 
be filed consistent with rule 1.1206(b). Written ex parte presentations 
and memoranda summarizing oral ex parte presentations, and all 
attachments thereto, must be filed through the electronic comment 
filing system available for that proceeding, and must be filed in their 
native format (e.g., .doc, .xml, .ppt, searchable .pdf). Participants 
in this proceeding should familiarize themselves with the Commission's 
ex parte rules.
    7. Comment Information. Pursuant to sections 1.415 and 1.419 of the 
Commission's rules, 47 CFR 1.415, 1.419, interested parties may file 
comments and reply comments on or before the dates indicated on the 
first page of this document. Comments may be filed using the 
Commission's Electronic Comment Filing System (ECFS). See Electronic 
Filing of Documents in Rulemaking Proceedings, 63 FR 24121 (1998).
    [ssquf] Electronic Filers: Comments may be filed electronically 
using the Internet by accessing the ECFS: http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/ecfs2/.
    [ssquf] Paper Filers: Parties who choose to file by paper must file 
an original and one copy 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. All filings must be addressed to the Commission's Secretary, 
Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.
    [ssquf] All hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for 
the Commission's Secretary must be delivered to FCC Headquarters at 445 
12th St. SW., Room TW-A325, Washington, DC 20554. The filing hours are 
8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with 
rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes and boxes must be disposed of 
before entering the building.
    [ssquf] 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.
    [ssquf] U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express, and Priority mail 
must 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 email to [email protected] or call the 
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-
418-0432 (tty).

Federal Communications Commission.
Robert Ratcliffe,
Deputy Bureau Chief, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2012-29768 Filed 12-7-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P