Broadcasters Continue to Push for Limits to Form 323 Data Requirements
Broadcasters again told the FCC to limit licensees’ ownership reporting requirements on FCC Form 323. The NAB said (http://bit.ly/ZfGVvY) the FCC should not require licensees to report ownership of those who hold nonattributable interests. If the commission moves ahead with requiring such reporting, it should let nonattributable owners use special-use FCC Registration Numbers (FRNs) rather than traditional FRNs, it said. Broadcasters in docket 07-294 said they are concerned that standard FRNs require individuals to submit their Social Security numbers to the FCC. In joint comments, Beasley, CBS and Emmis said the information collection requirements proposed in a December rulemaking notice would deter investments in broadcasting (http://bit.ly/VldzIZ).
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Public broadcasters also sought to have their reporting requirements limited. “The commission’s proposal to treat the governing board members of public broadcasting stations as owners is not only inappropriate ... but also harmful to the Commission’s ultimate goal in this proceeding,” said NPR, Public Broadcasting Service, The Association of Public Television Stations and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting in joint comments (http://bit.ly/XTAWrQ). Subjecting public station overseers to the same FRN reporting requirements as commercial stations “would exact a heavy toll by discouraging otherwise qualified and desirable individuals from serving in such institutions,” they said.
Several universities registered their concerns with the proposal. “Requiring submission of Social Security Numbers will have little positive impact on diversity in the noncommercial sector, while chilling the University’s ability to recruit the leadership needed for our continued growth,” the State University of New York said (http://bit.ly/XKUoZu). The Regents of the University of California also requested that the FCC allow it to continue using special use FRNs, which do not require Social Security numbers, for the ownership reports of one of its stations.
But public interest advocates said the data are important to get an accurate picture of broadcast ownership. “These changes are necessary steps toward the creation of a database of broadcast owners” that the public can search, aggregate and cross reference, the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Benton Foundation, Common Cause and others said in joint comments (http://bit.ly/Vlerxb). “Both the commission and public researchers need to be able to uniquely identify individuals to conduct proper longitudinal research,” they said. “It is imperative that the Commission continues to strengthen its data collection techniques.”