FCC tees up media, cable issues for December meeting

Numerous elements of the 2006 Quadrennial Regulatory Review and other dockets, scrubbed from the FCC's November Open Meeting, are back on the agenda for the December meeting, pegged for next Tuesday 12/18/07. Some hot cable issues are expected to be dealt with as well.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has indicated that the only change to the media ownership rules he is going to try to push through is elimination of broadcast/print cross-ownership restrictions in the nation's top 20 markets. Legislation to block any action whatsoever is pending in the Senate after clearing the Commerce Committee by unanimous voice vote last week. Martin and his four colleagues are to appear before that committee today.
It is further expected that the Commission will put a national subscriber cap of 30% on cable multiple system operators.

Other agenda items concern the promotion of diversified broadcast ownership, a report on broadcast localism, and a look at sponsorship identification requirements for embedded advertising.

RBR/TVBR observation: The Sunshine Notice on this event says 10:30. Given the Commission's recent track record on Open Meeting punctuality, it remains to be seen if the relevant suffix to 10:30 should be AM or PM.

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