NAB fights rear guard action on ownership reports

The Federal Communications Commission is requiring broadcast station owners to submit a new form that will provide information for study on minority and female stakes in broadcast licenses. The National Association of broadcasters has been fighting the move, wondering why there is a need for a sole proprietor to file the report every two years, once a report is on file, if there are no changes in ownership - and pointed out that the FCC should be aware of any such changes since it would have to approve them. NAB argued that "demographic data on sole proprietors should be captured only at the licensing stage or when there is a change in ownership." The FCC ruled, however, that sole proprietors must submit the report every two years to guarantee that they were verifying all data and making sure it's current. The FCC also wants to collect information on certain non-attributable interests for a number of reasons: "(a) the single majority shareholder exemption; and (b) the exemption for interests held in eligible entities that would be attributable but for the higher Equity/Debt Plus ("EDP") thresholds adopted in the Diversity Order."