That’s the Byron Dorgan (D-ND) bill that would set up extra hoops for the FCC any time it wishes to change a rule impacting media ownership rules. It would require advance notice, establishment of extra comment and reply comment periods, among other things. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the anticipated price tag would easily comply with existing Senate budgetary rules.
Other hoops include FCC’s production of a study of the proposed change’s impact on its likely affect on "the availability and quality of local programming by radio and television stations and newspapers." And it would establish an advisory panel to offer recommendations in increasing broadcast ownership among women and minorities.
CBO says all of this can be brought home for under 500K, "subject to the availability of appropriated funds, to provide a report on media concentration to the independent panel. Enacting the bill would not affect direct spending or revenues. S.2332 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates…and would not affect the budgets of state, local or tribal governments."
RBR/TVBR observation: Or, in other words, one possible technical barrier to the bill’s enactment does not exist. The second session of the 110th Congress is just starting up. We’ll keep our eyes on the progress of this bill.
