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Multiple Ownership of Radio Stations
Multiple Ownership refers to ownership of more than
one AM or FM radio stations by a single entity or company. In Section 202(b)(1)
of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed the Commission to revise
its local radio ownership rule to relax the numerical station limits. This page
provides information about the multiple ownership requirements as set forth in
47 CFR Section 73.3555.
Items under this heading will be added or updated as needed. Check here
for new or updated information.
March 23, 2006
Star Broadcasting, Inc. and Cumulus
Licensing, LLC, Letter, DA 06-645, released March 23, 2006.
[ PDF | Word ].
Petition and informal objection were denied, and assignment applications granted.
March 23, 2006
Galaxy Communications, L.P., Letter,
DA 06-644, released March 23, 2006. [ PDF | Word ].
Waiver request denied and minor change application dismissed for failure to comply
with the local radio ownership rule.
December 1, 2005
WASK, Inc. and Stay Tuned Broasdcasting
Corporation, Letter, DA 05-3093, released December 1, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Petition to deny alleging undue concentration was denied, assignment applications were granted.
August 11, 2005
Pacific Radio Group, Inc. and
Big Island Radio, Letter, DA 05-2270, released August 11, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Petiton to deny was denied, waiver for overlap over water granted, and assignment applications granted.
May 9, 2005
Media One Group II, LLC, Vox Allegany, LLC,
and Cross Country Communications, LLC, Letter, DA 05-1318, released May 9, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Petition to deny alleging a near-monopoly was denied, assignment applications granted.
May 9, 2005
Inland Northwest Broadcasting LLC and
Palouse Country, Inc., Letter, DA 05-1314, released May 9, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Petition to deny was denied and assignment applications granted.
May 4, 2005
Eagle Broadcasting Company, Inc. and
Saga Communications of New England, LLC, Letter,
DA 05-1284, released May 4, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Objections alleging undue concentration were denied and assignment applications granted.
January 3, 2005
Media Bureau Announces Requirement to
File Certain Radio Joint Sales Agreements, Public Notice,
DA 04-4035, released January 3, 2005.
[ PDF | Word ].
Filing deadline was February 22, 2005.
November 18, 2004
Media Bureau Announces Dismissal of
Unamended Form 301, 314, and 315 AM and FM Applications; Amendment Deadline Set
for Certain Other Commercial Radio Station Applications,
Public Notice, DA 04-3647, released November 18, 2004.
[ PDF | Word ].
Attachment:
[ PDF | Word ].
October 8, 2004
Revised FCC Forms 301, 314, and 315 Approved
and Available for Use; Media Bureau Announces End to Freeze on the Filing of
Forms 301, 314, and 315, Public Notice, DA 04-3204, released October 8,
2004.
[ PDF | Word ].
Temporary freeze lifted; pending FM commercial radio and television
applications must be amended within 30 days.
September 8, 2004
Media Bureau Announces Temporary Freeze
on the Filing of Forms 301, 314, and 315 for Commercial Radio Broadcast Stations,
Public Notice, DA 04-2901, released September 8, 2004. Freeze was effective
September 8, 2004.
[ PDF | Word ].
July 2, 2003
Limits on Media Concentration,
Report and Order and Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, FCC 03-127,
MM Dockets 02-177, 01-235, 01-317, 00-244 and MB Docket 03-130, released July 2, 2003.
[ PDF |
Word ]
Attachment:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Powell Statement:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Abernathy Statement:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Copps Statement:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Martin Statement:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Adelstein Statement:
[ PDF |
Word ]
Adelstein July 2, 2003 News Release:
[ PDF |
Word ]
[ 68 FR 46286 (R&O), 68 FR 46359 (NPRM) ]
In Section 202(b)(1) of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress directed
the Commission to revise its local radio ownership rule to relax the numerical
station limits. Specifically, Section 202(b)(1) of the 1996 Act provided the
following ownership limitations:
in a radio market with 45 or more commercial radio stations, a party may
own, operate, or control up to 8 commercial radio stations, not more than
5 of which are in the same service (AM or FM);
in a radio market with between 30 and 44 (inclusive) commercial radio
stations, a party may own, operate, or control up to 7 commercial radio
stations, not more than 4 of which are in the same service (AM or FM);
in a radio market with between 15 and 29 (inclusive) commercial radio stations,
a party may own, operate, or control up to 6 commercial radio stations, not
more than 4 of which are in the same service (AM or FM); and
in a radio market with 14 or fewer commercial radio stations, a party
may own, operate, or control up to 5 commercial radio stations, not more than
3 of which are in the same service (AM or FM), except that a party may not
own, operate, or control more than 50 percent of the stations in such market.
Since 1996 the Commission has granted thousands of assignment and transfer of
control applications proposing transactions that complied with the new limits.
In certain instances, however, the Commission faced concerns regarding the
competitive impact of the proposed transactions. In response to these concerns,
the Commission concluded in written decisions that it had an independent
obligation to consider whether a proposed pattern of radio ownership that
complies with the local radio ownership limits would otherwise have an adverse
competitive effect in a particular local radio market, such that it would be
inconsistent with the public interest.
In August 1998, the Commission began "flagging" public notices of radio
station transactions that, based on an initial analysis by the staff,
proposed a level of local radio concentration that implicated the
Commission's public interest concern for maintaining diversity
and competition. Under this policy, the Commission flagged proposed
transactions that would result in one entity controlling 50% or more of
the radio advertising revenues in the relevant Arbitron radio market
or two entities controlling 70% or more of such advertising revenues.
In such cases, the Commission indicated that it would conduct further
competitive review of the flagged transaction and invited interested
parties to file comments addressing the competitive impact of the proposed merger.
On November 8, 2001, the Commission adopted the Local Radio OwnershipNotice of Proposed Rule Making, MM Dockets
01-317 and 00-244, FCC 01-329, 16 FCC Rcd 19861 (2001)
[ PDF |
Word |
Text ],
to undertake a
comprehensive examination of our rules and policies concerning local radio
ownership, and to develop a new framework that will be more responsive
to current marketplace realities while continuing to address the core
public interest concerns of promoting diversity and competition. The
Local Radio Ownership NPRM sets forth an interim policy to guide the
Commission's actions on radio assignment and transfer of control
applications pending a decision in the proceeding. (This proceeding
has subsequently been incorporated into the Commission's 2002
Biennial Regulatory Review / Review of the Commission's Broadcast
Ownership Rules and Other Rules Adopted Pursuant to Section 202 of
the Telecommunications Act of 1996, MB Docket No. 02-277,
FCC 02-249, released September 23, 2002
[ PDF | Word | Text ].) Under the
interim policy, applications that fall below the "50/70" screen are
deemed not to raise competition concerns unless a petition to deny
raising competition issues is filed. For applications identified
by the "50/70" screen, the interim policy directs the Commission's staff
to conduct a public interest analysis, including an independent
preliminary competition analysis.