NEWSReport No. MM 96-23       MASS MEDIA ACTION             
June 24, 1996

                  FCC DENIES RECONSIDERATION OF DECISION
              THAT FOX TELEVISION DID NOT MISLEAD COMMISSION

     The Federal Communications Commission has denied the request of
the Metropolitan Council of NAACP Branches to reconsider its May 4,
1995, decision to renew Fox Television Stations, Inc.'s ("FTS") license to
operate station WNYW-TV, New York City.  

     In that Order, the Commission found that a foreign company owned
99 percent of FTS's parent company, far in excess of the 25 percent
statutory benchmark for alien ownership interests.  The Commission
nevertheless determined, on the basis of an extensive staff investigation,
that although FTS had not informed the FCC about the extent of its alien
ownership, it had not intentionally misled the FCC about that
information.  That conclusion was based in part on the finding that FTS
would not necessarily have known from prior FCC cases that its particular
type of foreign ownership interest would be counted in calculating
compliance with the statutory benchmark.

     Metro NAACP asked the Commission to reconsider that finding.  It
argued that the staff's investigation into FTS's candor was flawed, and that
the Commission had not properly interpreted its own prior decisions
regarding foreign ownership.  The Commission rejected those contentions.

     The staff investigation was proper, the Commission determined,
because the staff developed a thorough record through extensive discovery
of FTS witnesses and documents.  The material developed adequately
enabled the Commission to resolve the case, and contrary to Metro
NAACP's arguments, no additional discovery was required.  The
Commission held as well that its interpretations of FCC precedent in the
May 4 decision were proper.  Thus, the finding, based in part on those
interpretations, that FTS did not intentionally lack candor toward to the
Commission regarding its foreign ownership was also sound.

     Action by the Commission May 13, 1996, by Third Memorandum
Opinion and Order (FCC 96-217).  Chairman Hundt and Commissioners
Quello, Ness and Chong.


                                  - FCC -    

News Media contact:  David Fiske at (202) 418-0500
Office of General Counsel contact:   Joel Marcus at (202) 418-1740.