Broadcast Groups Petition FCC to Reconsider Political File Posting Decision

Major broadcast groups have asked the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its requirement that they put sensitive political information online "immediately and for everybody to see," offering an opt-in alternative for broadcasters they say would expand the reporting requirement without diminishing their ability to compete in the marketplace. In a petition filed on June 11, the deadline for filing for reconsideration of the FCC's April vote requiring the posting of TV station public files online, the broadcasters against pressed for a compromise of posting aggregate political spot figures. Broadcasters signing on to the petition are Barrington, Belo, Cox, Scripps, Hearst, Gannett, LIN, Meredith, Post-Newsweek, Raycom and Schurz.

The petition argues that a broadcaster alternative proposal has the following advantages over the FCC's order: "(1) online disclosure of useful aggregated information on spending by or about candidates that is not currently required to be disclosed; (2) broader disclosure of information on political issue ads generally, not just the limited category of issues for which disclosure is required under the BCRA (the McCain-Feingold bill) [but also including state and local issues not covered by BCRA]; (3) avoidance of online disclosure of competitively sensitive pricing information among competitors - which is a major defect of the Second Report and Order requirements; (4) online disclosure of specific, relevant, and useful information that will facilitate analysis by the general public, researchers, journalists, and scholars; and (5) clarification that the proposed alternative would be available on an "opt in" basis, meaning that individual broadcasters could instead elect to comply with the requirements contained in the Second Report and Order if they have concerns with respect to the Television Station Group's proposal."