06/21/2018

FCC Won't Consider 39% Cap at July Meeting

Despite recent buzz that FCC Chairman Ajit Pai would be scheduling a vote at the July 12 public meeting on a proposal related to the FCC's review of the 39% ownership cap/UHF discount at the FCC's, such an item did not make the agenda.

Pai blogged Wednesday about the items on that July meeting, and while there was a potential media ownership deregulation item on it—children's TV rules—three was  no mention of the discount or cap.

Drafts of the meeting items won't be circulated until Thursday (June 21).

Related: Nexstar: 50% Cap Would Be Arbitrary and Capricious

An FCC spokesperson would not comment on the absence of that item, but confirmed it would not be voted at the meeting and nothing had been circulated. The FCC had neither confirmed nor denied the initial story that the item would be voted at the meeting, so that could have been a plan that changed. 

The chairman has been under pressure from Democrats not to make any more deregulatory moves before deciding whether Sinclair can merge with Tribune and capitalize on the deregulatory moves the FCC has already made. 

The cap item's absence from the July meeting almost certainly means no decision until August. The chairman could circulate an item for a vote not at a public meeting, but that would be highly unlikely given the importance of the issue and the chairman's championing of transparency.