FCC Urged To Delay Ownership Review

Minority Media and Telecommunications Council President David Honig is recommending that the Federal Communications Commission put off a decision on whether to rein in broadcast joint sales agreements (JSAs) until at least 2014.

Under a controversial agency proposal said to be backed by the FCC’s Democratic majority, JSAs for which more than 15% of the advertising time is sold by the dominant station would have to be unwound within two years or the stations counted as jointly owned. Broadcasters say that the proposal, which is included in the agency’s long-pending media regulation review, could have a devastatingly negative impact on their operations. Honig wants the FCC postpone action on the JSA issue to reduce the heat being generated over the agency’s media ownership rule package. “It’s just to keep the thing less contentious than it already is,” Honig said. Honig also said the MMTC is planning to formally ask the FCC — perhaps as soon as Feb 25 — to hold off on a vote on its media ownership review proposals for at least a couple of months, while an MMTC-sponsored study looks into what impact FCC crossownership rules have on minority ownership. Honig said he had no idea what the study — which would be overseen by Mark Fratrik, VP for research at BIA Kelsey — would find, but could serve as the basis for FCC action.