Three House Republicans asked the FCC to justify the agency’s...
Three House Republicans asked the FCC to justify the agency’s proposed requirements for TV stations to post public inspection files online, in a letter Wednesday to Chairman Julius Genachowski. The commission plans to vote Friday on a Media Bureau order…
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implementing an electronic public file system for broadcasters, including giving the public online access to the amounts stations are paid to run political ads (CD April 23 p8). The order would direct broadcasters to allow access to their public files through the Internet, recommended in the commission’s report on the information needs of communities (http://xrl.us/bkq83f). The agency “has not adequately assessed the costs or burdens associated with this proposal, nor articulated the need,” wrote Reps. Cliff Stearns, R-Fla., Brian Bilbray, R-Calif., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn. The commission should “explore less burdensome alternatives,” to prevent the economic impact that the proposal could have on TV stations, particularly the 74 percent of stations that qualify as small entities, they said. The letter said it’s troubling that the FCC’s proposal will include the online publishing of “proprietary and competitively sensitive information” such as lowest unit charge or other price information. “There are significant competition issues at play here that warrant careful consideration,” it said. The FCC’s eighth floor has been considering whether to change the draft to exempt online disclosure of the LUC that TV stations are paid for spots during the weeks before elections (CD April 24 p2). The commission appears to be continuing to consider that LUC change, an industry official said Wednesday. Bureau Chief Bill Lake declined to comment when asked at an industry luncheon about whether his bureau or Chairman Julius Genachowski are willing to consider not requiring online files to list LUC figures.