[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 35 (Tuesday, February 23, 1999)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 8779-8780]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-4467]
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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'').1 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.2
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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
