NEWSReport No. MM 97-2       MASS MEDIA ACTION             January 24, 1997

              COMMISSION EXTENDS THE LICENSE TERM OF MOST 
                      BROADCAST STATIONS TO 8 YEARS
                             (MM Docket 96-90)

     The Commission has implemented Section 203 of the Telecommunications Act of
1996 by adopting rules that ordinarily extend the license terms for television and radio
stations to eight years, with the exception of experimental broadcast station license terms
which will remain one year.  The lengthened license terms will reduce the burden to
broadcasters seeking periodic renewal of their licenses, and can allow the competitive
marketplace to operate more efficiently, which in turn can enhance the opportunity to further
the public interest through improved service delivered to the public.  The new rules also
eliminate the current license term distinction made between radio and television stations.

     The 1996 Act provides that broadcast licenses may be granted for terms "not to
exceed" eight years for both television and radio stations, but does not require the
Commission to do so.  On balance, the Commission concluded that ordinarily granting
broadcast licenses for the maximum statutory term was consistent with both past practice and
the legislative history of the Telecom Act.  The previous Commission rules provided five year
license terms for television stations and seven year license terms for radio stations, the
previous statutory maximum terms.

     The Commission stated that it will track the approach it is taking with full-service
stations and adopt an 8-year license term for FM and TV translator facilities and low power
TV stations as well as for international broadcasting stations.  The Commission noted that this
approach is consistent with its past practice of treating different classes of stations uniformly. 

     The Commission will continue its practice of tying the license terms for auxiliary and
booster facilities to the license terms of the broadcast stations with which they are associated.
The Commission noted that this approach eases the administrative burden on both FCC staff
and licensees, who would otherwise need an intricate record-keeping system to ensure that all
licenses were renewed at the appropriate time.  Also consistent with past practice, the
Commission will license experimental broadcast stations for one-year terms.  The
Commission said that a longer term would not be warranted for this class of station. 

     The Commission also adopted a method to incorporate license term changes into the
existing schedule of renewal cycles without disrupting the synchronization of the process.
Broadcast license renewal applications granted after the effective date of these rules 
would be for a term of eight years, and renewal applications filed as part of the
current renewal cycle, and that have been granted only the maximum five- or seven-year
license term, would be extended to a term of eight years.

     Action by the Commission January 23, 1997, by Report and Order (FCC 97-17).
Chairman Hundt, Commissioners Quello, Ness and Chong.

                                  - FCC -

     News Media Contact:  Rochelle Cohen at (202) 418-0500.
     Mass Media Bureau Contact: Robert Somers at (202) 418-2130.