UHF Discount Challenge Could Lead to Media Ownership Overturn, Blogs Broadcast Lawyer
A reconsideration petition filed by Ion against FCC elimination of the UHF discount could give the upcoming Republican-controlled agency its first crack at media ownership rules, said Wilkinson Barker broadcast lawyer David Oxenford in a blog post Monday. Ion's petition…
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was published in Monday's Federal Register, which makes comments due Dec. 27, replies Jan. 6. Though NAB filed a recon petition of media ownership rules, Ion's will complete its comment cycle sooner. Other companies have challenged the UHF discount rule change in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (see 1611220074). Courts likely will defer to the FCC decision on recon first, Oxenford said. “These petitions for reconsideration will give a new post-inauguration Republican-led FCC the opportunity to revisit the ownership decisions made in the Democratic administration,” he said. “It is quite possible that changes in these decisions will be made without having to rely on courts to overturn or otherwise question the FCC’s decisions."