Industry Keeping 'Powder Dry' on UHF Discount NPRM, Say Lobbyist, Attorneys

摘要

Industry interest is high in an NPRM on circulation that would end the UHF discount for broadcastnownership, but attempts to lobby the FCC on one side or the other haven’t yet begun, said agency and industrynofficials. Although the eighth floor has received many phone calls for information about the item,nthere hasn’t been any substantive advocacy, said an FCC official. If the discount is revoked, large broadcastersnsuch as Sinclair could find themselves close to the 39 percent national ownership cap, and a pendingnpurchase by Tribune of Local Broadcasting would leave the new company at 44 percent, public interestngroups have said (CD July 2 p2). Large companies that could be affected by the deal are likely waitingnfor an NPRM to be issued with specific language, said a longtime industry official who lobbies the FCC.nThe status of existing broadcast operations and pending transactions is one of the questions asked in thenNPRM (CD Aug 6 p1). Companies may be “keeping their powder dry” until they have something to respondnto, said the lobbyist.