[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 143 (Thursday, July 29, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 40837-40838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-16127]


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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

MB Docket No. 18-349; DA 21-851; FR ID 40028]


Media Bureau Extends Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines To 
Update the Record in the 2018 Quadrennial Review

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In this document, the Commission grants a motion for extension 
of time in the 2018 Quadrennial Review record update to extend the 
comment and reply comment deadlines.

DATES: 
    Comment Date: September 2, 2021.
    Reply Comment Date: October 1, 2021.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ty Bream, Media Bureau, Industry 
Analysis Division, [email protected], (202) 418-0644.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This is a summary of the Media Bureau's 
Public Notice in MB Docket No. 18-349, DA 21-851, that was released on 
July 16, 2021. The complete text of this document is available 
electronically via the search function on the FCC's Electronic Document 
Management System (EDOCS) web page at https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/ (https://apps.fcc.gov/edocs_public/). Documents will be 
available electronically in ASCII, Microsoft Word, and/or Adobe 
Acrobat. Alternative formats are available for people with disabilities 
(Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format, etc.) and 
reasonable accommodations (accessible format documents, sign language 
interpreters, CART, etc.) may be requested by sending an email to 
[email protected] or calling the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs 
Bureau at (202) 418-0530 (voice), (202) 418-0432 (TTY).

Synopsis

    1. By this Public Notice, the Media Bureau extends the deadlines 
for filing comments and reply comments in the above-captioned 
proceeding. On June 4, 2021, the Media Bureau released a Public Notice, 
86 FR 35089 (July 1, 2021), seeking to update the record in the 2018 
Quadrennial Review proceeding, in which the Commission has sought 
comment, pursuant to its obligation under Section 202(h) of the 
Telecommunications Act of 1996, on whether its media ownership rules 
remain ``necessary in the public interest

[[Page 40838]]

as the result of competition.'' On July 1, 2021, the Media Bureau 
announced a comment filing deadline of August 2, 2021, and a reply 
comment filing deadline of August 30, 2021, for record updates to the 
above-captioned proceeding.
    2. On July 12, 2021, Common Cause, Free Press, the Multicultural 
Media, Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC), the National Association of 
Black Owned Broadcasters (NABOB), and the National Association of 
Broadcasters (NAB) (collectively, Joint Filers) requested an extension 
of the comment and reply comment filing deadlines until September 2 and 
October 1, 2021, respectively. The Joint Filers explain that, as more 
than two years have passed since the original comment cycle in this 
proceeding was completed, there have been many economic and legal 
developments in the media industry in that time. The Joint Filers state 
that they and other interested parties need additional time to address 
the many complex economic and legal issues through research, updates to 
previously filed material, and new information.
    3. As set forth in section 1.46(a) of the Commission's rules, the 
Commission's policy is that extensions of time shall not be routinely 
granted. We find, however, that the Joint Filers have set forth a 
sufficient justification to warrant grant of their requested extension. 
As an extension should enable interested parties to present more 
complete and thoughtful comments to the Commission, we agree with the 
Joint Filers that both the parties commenting in the proceeding and the 
Commission should benefit and that the extension should not 
disadvantage any party. Accordingly, we grant the Joint Filers' request 
and extend the comment and reply comment deadlines by approximately a 
month, until September 2, 2021, and October 1, 2021, respectively.
    4. For additional information on this proceeding, contact Ty Bream, 
[email protected], of the Media Bureau, Industry Analysis Division. 
Press inquiries should be directed to Janice Wise, [email protected], 
(202) 418-8165.

Federal Communications Commission.
Thomas Horan,
Chief of Staff, Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 2021-16127 Filed 7-28-21; 8:45 am]
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