Clyburn’s Office Open for Engagement on Political File Order
LAS VEGAS -- Two FCC members provided a dose of optimism to broadcasters seeking changes to a draft order that would require TV stations to put their political file information online. During a panel discussion at the NAB Show late Tuesday, Commissioner Mignon Clyburn told broadcasters her office is still taking meetings on the topic. “I can affirm to you that in terms of this process, this office is still open for engagement,” she said.
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And Commissioner Robert McDowell drew a round of applause after he said the commission shouldn’t have anything to do with regulating political ads. The two shared a high-five on the dais. “Well, you have two-thirds of the FCC right here,” McDowell said. Still, most broadcast lawyers we talked to remained pessimistic (CD April 18 p7) that any changes would be made to the draft. The commissioners also discussed the voluntary incentive spectrum auction and media ownership proceeding. Clyburn’s comments followed a description by Schurz Communications Senior Vice President Marci Burdick of a proposed compromise brought by the company and other broadcasters earlier in the rulemaking process that would let broadcasters conceal their lowest unit rate information. “I get the larger public policy issue around this,” Burdick said.
McDowell said the FCC shouldn’t be regulating political ads at all. He wondered if there could be any compromises reached on how quickly stations are required to upload political file information and noted that the statute does not require stations to put the information online. “If we want more transparency in political spending, Congress needs to reexamine the statute,” he said: The Federal Election Commission “is the agency in charge of these things."
On the incentive spectrum auction, McDowell said he didn’t see how the commission could tackle all the issues that need addressing in a single omnibus order. “I think there will be a number of proceedings here,” McDowell said.
Clyburn said the FCC will make a decision on new media ownership rules based on data. “I think you have an agency that will take all those factors into consideration,” she said following remarks by Burdick and Beasley Broadcast Group Chief Financial Officer Caroline Beasley about how much the competitive environment for stations has changed in the last decade. But Clyburn said she will have to “look at and weigh all the data before I can make any significant decision … that could have any type of negative effect on communities that might at this point be underserved.”