The FCC shouldn’t wait for the 2010 Quadrennial...

The FCC shouldn’t wait for the 2010 Quadrennial Review to review Raycom’s “defacto control” of three Honolulu TV stations, the Media Council Hawai'i told an aide to acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn, according to an ex parte filed Tuesday (http://bit.ly/129yeOO). MCH urged the agency to take action on MCH’s 2011 application for review, which challenges the Media Bureau order denying MCH’s ownership complaint against Raycom. “Although MCH filed comments in the 2010 Quadrennial Review proposing a test for attributing sharing arrangements like those in Honolulu, the 2010 Quadrennial Review has not yet been concluded,” said MCH. “Nor is it clear when the proceeding will be concluded or whether it will address the issue of shared services.” MCH also said the situation couldn’t wait for a challenge to Raycom’s license renewal, because such a challenge wouldn’t be due until 2015. MCH said the services shared among the three Honolulu stations has led to “the loss of an independent source of news,” and that along with the stations, Raycom’s Hawai'i News Now is “sharing resources and cross-promoting stories” with the city’s one remaining daily newspaper. “And because of its location, Hawai'i is unable to receive broadcast stations from other states,” said MCH in the ex parte letter. MCH said the FCC should act quickly to “prevent the creation of new ‘virtual duopolies’ in other communities.” Clyburn and her staff were also urged to resolve the Quadrennial Review by representatives of the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, according to another ex parte filing (http://bit.ly/11pDiDq). Clyburn should “move forward on the broadcast ownership proceeding during her tenure, if possible, in order to resolve the issue before the new Chair takes office,” said PISC member Andrew Schwartzman, formerly of the Media Access Project, according to the filing. Schwartzman said relaxing ownership rules could encourage incentive auction-related speculation in broadcast licenses, driving up prices and lowering the returns from the auction, according to the letter. “It therefore makes sense to conclude what has now become a ten-year review and begin fresh with the next Quadrennial Review, scheduled for next year,” said Schwartzman.