[Federal Register: February 23, 1999 (Volume 64, Number 35)]
[Proposed Rules]               
[Page 8779-8780]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr23fe99-29]

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FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR PARTS 0, 73, and 76

[MM Docket Nos. 98-204 and 96-16, DA 99-326]

 
Revision of Broadcast and Cable EEO Rules and Policies

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment and reply comment period.

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SUMMARY: In Review of the Commission's Broadcast and Cable Equal 
Employment Opportunity Rules and Policies, the Commission partially 
grants a motion for extension of time. The Minority Media and 
Telecommunications Council (MMTC) requests the extension of time due to 
problems encountered in preparing its comments, including difficulties 
encountered in securing witness testimony and the illness of the MMTC's 
Executive Director. The Commission believes that the public interest 
favors a partial grant of this extension of time request, in order to 
grant the MMTC additional time in which to prepare its comments, while 
not unnecessarily delaying the expeditious resolution of the important 
issues raised in this proceeding.

DATES: Comments due March 1, 1999; reply comments due March 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary, 
445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hope G. Cooper, Mass Media Bureau, 
Enforcement Division. (202) 418-1450.


[[Page 8780]]


SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
    1. On November 20, 1998, the Commission released a Notice of 
Proposed Rule Making, MM Docket No. 98-204, 63 FR 66104, December 1, 
1998, (NPRM), requesting comment on various proposals concerning the 
Commission's broadcast and cable EEO rules and policies. Comment and 
Reply Comment deadlines were established for January 19, 1999, and 
February 18, 1999, respectively.
    2. On December 17, 1998, the National Association of Broadcasters 
(``NAB'') filed a ``Motion for Extension of Time of Comment and Reply 
Comment Deadlines'' (``Motion'').<SUP>1</SUP> Therein, the NAB 
requested that we extend the due dates for the submission of comments 
and reply comments in response to the NPRM to February 18, 1999, and 
March 23, 1999, respectively. On January 4, 1999, the Minority Media 
and Telecommunications Council (``MMTC'') sent a letter to the 
Commission expressing support for the NAB's Motion.
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    \1\ See National Association of Broadcasters' Motion for 
Extension of Time of Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines, MM Docket 
Nos. 98-204 and 96-16 at 1.
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    3. Because we believed that the public interest would be served by 
an extension of the comment period in this proceeding, we granted the 
NAB's Motion and extended the date for filing comments to February 18, 
1999, and extended the date for filing reply comments to March 23, 
1999, in an Order released January 5, 1999, DA 99-105.
    4. On February 10, 1999, the MMTC filed a ``Motion for Extension of 
Time.'' Therein, the MMTC requested that we extend the due date for the 
submission of comments in response to the NPRM for three weeks, until 
March 11, 1999. The MMTC does not seek an extension of the reply 
comment deadline. In support of its request, the MMTC contends that the 
workload of preparing comments in this proceeding has been 
overwhelming, in that it has encountered difficulties in securing 
witness testimony and because of the illness of the MMTC's Executive 
Director, who has the responsibility of managing the project and 
drafting most of the comments. The MMTC argues that, because the MMTC 
comments will address virtually every issue raised in the NPRM and a 
``majority of the national organizations likely to participate in this 
proceeding are expected to sign on to the MMTC's Comments,* * * a brief 
extension will assist the FCC in developing a full record,'' expediting 
rather than delaying the resolution of this proceeding.<SUP>2</SUP>
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    \2\ See Minority Media and Telecommunications Council's Motion 
for Extension of Time, MM Docket Nos. 98-204 and 96-16.
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    5. It is Commission policy that extensions of time not be routinely 
granted. See 1.46(a) of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 1.46(a). 
However, we believe that, in light of the importance of the issues 
presented in this proceeding, the public interest would be served by 
affording MMTC additional time in which to prepare its comments. At the 
same time, we also believe that a three-week extension is too long and 
inconsistent with the timely dispatch of the Commission's business. As 
previously stated, we have heretofore extended the comment deadline for 
30 days at the request of the NAB, with the support of MMTC. While we 
appreciate the difficulties faced by the MMTC in drafting comments to 
this proceeding, we do not wish to delay unnecessarily the expeditious 
resolution of the important issues raised in this proceeding. 
Therefore, we believe that the public interest favors a partial grant 
of this extension of time request. Thus, we will extend the date for 
filing comments to March 1, 1999. In addition, we believe that the 
public interest favors a corresponding extension of time for filing 
reply comments and we will extend that date to March 31, 1999.
    6. Accordingly, It Is Ordered that the Motion for Extension of Time 
filed by the MMTC Is Granted In Part and Denied In Part.
    7. It is Further Ordered that the Commission, on its own motion, 
Extends the time for filing reply comments.
    8. It Is Therefore Ordered that the dates for filing comments and 
reply comments in this proceeding Are Extended to March 1, 1999, and 
March 31, 1999, respectively.
    9. This action is taken pursuant to authority found in 4(i) and 
303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i) 
and 303(r), and 0.204(b), 0.283 and 1.46 of the Commission's Rules, 47 
CFR 0.204(b), 0.283 and 1.46.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 0

    Organization and functions (Government agencies).

47 CFR Part 73

    Radio, Equal employment opportunity, Reporting and recordkeeping 
requirements, Television.

47 CFR Part 76

    Cable television, Equal employment opportunity, Reporting and 
recordkeeping requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.
Roy J. Stewart,
Chief, Mass Media Bureau.
[FR Doc. 99-4467 Filed 2-22-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6712-01-P