Revision of Broadcast and Cable EEO Rules and Policies

FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION

47 CFR PARTS 0, 73, and 76

[MM Docket Nos. 98-204 and 96-16, DA 99-326]

Revision of Broadcast and Cable EEO Rules and Policies

AGENCY: Federal Communications Commission.

ACTION: Proposed rule; extension of comment and reply comment period.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In Review of the Commission's Broadcast and Cable Equal

Employment Opportunity Rules and Policies, the Commission partially

grants a motion for extension of time. The Minority Media and

Telecommunications Council (MMTC) requests the extension of time due to

problems encountered in preparing its comments, including difficulties

encountered in securing witness testimony and the illness of the MMTC's

Executive Director. The Commission believes that the public interest

favors a partial grant of this extension of time request, in order to

grant the MMTC additional time in which to prepare its comments, while

not unnecessarily delaying the expeditious resolution of the important

issues raised in this proceeding.

DATES: Comments due March 1, 1999; reply comments due March 31, 1999.

ADDRESSES: Federal Communications Commission, Office of the Secretary,

445 12th Street, SW, Washington, DC 20554.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Hope G. Cooper, Mass Media Bureau,

Enforcement Division. (202) 418-1450.

[[Page 8780]]

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

1. On November 20, 1998, the Commission released a Notice of

Proposed Rule Making, MM Docket No. 98-204, 63 FR 66104, December 1,

1998, (NPRM), requesting comment on various proposals concerning the

Commission's broadcast and cable EEO rules and policies. Comment and

Reply Comment deadlines were established for January 19, 1999, and

February 18, 1999, respectively.

2. On December 17, 1998, the National Association of Broadcasters

(``NAB'') filed a ``Motion for Extension of Time of Comment and Reply

Comment Deadlines'' (``Motion'').1 Therein, the NAB

requested that we extend the due dates for the submission of comments

and reply comments in response to the NPRM to February 18, 1999, and

March 23, 1999, respectively. On January 4, 1999, the Minority Media

and Telecommunications Council (``MMTC'') sent a letter to the

Commission expressing support for the NAB's Motion.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\1\ See National Association of Broadcasters' Motion for

Extension of Time of Comment and Reply Comment Deadlines, MM Docket

Nos. 98-204 and 96-16 at 1.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Because we believed that the public interest would be served by

an extension of the comment period in this proceeding, we granted the

NAB's Motion and extended the date for filing comments to February 18,

1999, and extended the date for filing reply comments to March 23,

1999, in an Order released January 5, 1999, DA 99-105.

4. On February 10, 1999, the MMTC filed a ``Motion for Extension of

Time.'' Therein, the MMTC requested that we extend the due date for the

submission of comments in response to the NPRM for three weeks, until

March 11, 1999. The MMTC does not seek an extension of the reply

comment deadline. In support of its request, the MMTC contends that the

workload of preparing comments in this proceeding has been

overwhelming, in that it has encountered difficulties in securing

witness testimony and because of the illness of the MMTC's Executive

Director, who has the responsibility of managing the project and

drafting most of the comments. The MMTC argues that, because the MMTC

comments will address virtually every issue raised in the NPRM and a

``majority of the national organizations likely to participate in this

proceeding are expected to sign on to the MMTC's Comments,* * * a brief

extension will assist the FCC in developing a full record,'' expediting

rather than delaying the resolution of this proceeding.2

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

\2\ See Minority Media and Telecommunications Council's Motion

for Extension of Time, MM Docket Nos. 98-204 and 96-16.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

5. It is Commission policy that extensions of time not be routinely

granted. See 1.46(a) of the Commission's Rules, 47 CFR 1.46(a).

However, we believe that, in light of the importance of the issues

presented in this proceeding, the public interest would be served by

affording MMTC additional time in which to prepare its comments. At the

same time, we also believe that a three-week extension is too long and

inconsistent with the timely dispatch of the Commission's business. As

previously stated, we have heretofore extended the comment deadline for

30 days at the request of the NAB, with the support of MMTC. While we

appreciate the difficulties faced by the MMTC in drafting comments to

this proceeding, we do not wish to delay unnecessarily the expeditious

resolution of the important issues raised in this proceeding.

Therefore, we believe that the public interest favors a partial grant

of this extension of time request. Thus, we will extend the date for

filing comments to March 1, 1999. In addition, we believe that the

public interest favors a corresponding extension of time for filing

reply comments and we will extend that date to March 31, 1999.

6. Accordingly, It Is Ordered that the Motion for Extension of Time

filed by the MMTC Is Granted In Part and Denied In Part.

7. It is Further Ordered that the Commission, on its own motion,

Extends the time for filing reply comments.

8. It Is Therefore Ordered that the dates for filing comments and

reply comments in this proceeding Are Extended to March 1, 1999, and

March 31, 1999, respectively.

9. This action is taken pursuant to authority found in 4(i) and

303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. 154(i)

and 303(r), and 0.204(b), 0.283 and 1.46 of the Commission's Rules, 47

CFR 0.204(b), 0.283 and 1.46.

List of Subjects

47 CFR Part 0

Organization and functions (Government agencies).

47 CFR Part 73

Radio, Equal employment opportunity, Reporting and recordkeeping

requirements, Television.

47 CFR Part 76

Cable television, Equal employment opportunity, Reporting and

recordkeeping requirements.

Federal Communications Commission.

Roy J. Stewart,

Chief, Mass Media Bureau.

[FR Doc. 99-4467 Filed 2-22-99; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 6712-01-P