Sources: FCC Extends Tribune Waivers; Chairman Circulates Media Ownership Order

Apparently, the Federal Communications Commission is clearing the way for Tribune's new owners to take control of its television station licenses. The Media Bureau has given the FCC commissioners a heads up that it will be issuing a decision by week's end extending Tribune's permanent waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rules in Chicago, and temporary waivers in New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Hartford, which will allow the license transfers to go through. In addition, the chairman's office has circulated for vote an order rejecting a petition to deny the permanent Chicago waiver, filed by the United Church of Christ, the Teamsters and others.

In addition, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski circulated an order to change media ownership rules. The FCC is not expected to officially reveal details of the order, which are based on a proposed rule-making opened a year ago. But if the order follows the rule-making document, the FCC will essentially keep in place what the agency proposed in 2007—and has been defending in court ever since. In other words, the results would be close to the status quo. The new rules would loosen the 70s-era ban on newspaper-broadcast cross ownership, codify newspaper-TV-radio in the top 20 markets and maintain local market caps on radio and TV ownership.