FCC denied petition for reconsideration of its June decision to a...
FCC denied petition for reconsideration of its June decision to approve AT&T-MediaOne merger. In order adopted Feb. 8 but not released until Wed., FCC rejected arguments for review in joint petition by Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America and…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
Media Access Project. Rejecting petitioners’ contention that agency’s decision was tainted by violation of ex parte rules, Commission said it had “relied on no other information or arguments” that were not part of voluminous record compiled in proceeding. Petitioners had alleged that AT&T had hundreds of meetings with Commission staff without filing adequate notification of substantive issues presented, violating agency’s rules. As for charge that Commission’s “overly generous” determination to give AT&T 12 months to come into compliance with cable ownership limits was “arbitrary and capricious,” FCC said decision rested on its finding that special circumstances warranted additional time and that grant, as conditioned, served public interest. Order doesn’t address any of issues presented to FCC by U.S. Appeals Court, D.C., in remanding agency’s limits on cable horizontal and vertical ownership, Commission said.