FCC: Issues: License Renewals

Reformers Caution FCC Against Further Weakening the Broadcast License Renewal Process

January 11, 2006 -- Media Policy Program Director Meredith McGehee along with Gloria Tristani of the UCC Office of Communication and Charles Benton of the Benton Foundation urged the FCC not to exacerbate weaknesses in the broadcast license renewal process in the interest of "streamlining."

The group's letter was in response to FCC Media Bureau Chief Donna Gregg's statement in December that that "streamlining and expediting" the process through which broadcasters apply to renew their licenses would be a primary focus of her office. The letter states: "The current license renewal process permits many broadcasters to ignore their responsibilities with impunity; modifications to this process that would further exacerbate its shortcomings must be rejected by the Commissioners."

Click here to read the full letter and press release.

McGehee Sends Letter to Senate and House Commerce Committees on CLC's License Challenge

Director Meredith McGehee sent a letter to the House and Senate Commerce Committees, as well as Representatives and Senators from Illinois and Wisconsin, regarding CLC's recently filed license challenge to Chicago and Milwaukee area broadcasters. The letter asserts, "The dearth of local election coverage represents a market-wide failure of local television broadcasters in these two communities. The broadcasters in Chicago and Milwaukee failed to provide citizens with the information they needed about local races. Such information enables members of the public to become informed voters who are essential to a healthy, working democracy." McGehee also insists that the FEC should not simply be a rubber stamp in the process of broadcasters' license renewals.

Click here to read the complete letter.

Click here to read the enclosure.

CLC Joins in Calling for FCC Revision of Public Notice Requirements

The Campaign Legal Center joined the Institute of Public Representation, the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Media Access Project, the Benton Foundation, Chicago Media Action, and Free Press in filing comments calling on the Federal Communications Commission to strengthen the rules governing the public notice station owners must give when they apply to transfer their broadcast station license.

The comments recommend that the FCC create a specific website where listeners and viewers can access information about proposed station sales, and sumbit comments or objections. The groups urged the FCC to ensure that the rules maximize public participation in the broadcast licensing process.

Read the full text of the filed comments.

Localism in Broadcasting Reform Act of 2005

Senator John McCain [R-Ariz.], a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, has introduced the "Localism in Broadcasting Reform Act of 2005" (S. 383). This bill would reduce the license term for broadcasters from eight years to three years, thereby requiring broadcasters to provide the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) with information every three years as to why their license should be renewed.

Additionally, the bill would require the FCC to review five percent of all license and renewal applications, and would require broadcasters to post information detailing their commitment to local public affairs programming on their websites. Lastly, the bill calls for the FCC to complete its open proceeding on how public interest obligations should apply to broadcasters in the digital era.