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If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ***************************************************************** Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of Review of the Commission's Regulations ) MM Docket No. 94-150 Governing Attribution of Broadcast and ) Cable/MDS Interests ) ) Review of the Commission's Regulations ) MM Docket No. 92-51 and Policies Affecting Investment in the ) Broadcast Industry ) ) Reexamination of the Commission's ) MM Docket No. 87-154 Cross-Interest Policy ) ) Review of the Commission's Regulations ) MM Docket No. 91-221 Governing Television Broadcasting ) ) Television Satellite Stations Review of ) MM Docket No. 87-8 Policy and Rules ) ) Broadcast Television National Ownership ) MM Docket No. 96-222 Rules ) ) Newspaper/Radio Cross-Ownership ) MM Docket No. 96-197 Waiver Policy ) ORDER DENYING REQUEST FOR FURTHER EXTENSION OF TIME TO FILE REPLY COMMENTS Adopted: March 10, 1997 Released: March 10, 1997 Reply Comment Date: March 21, 1997 By the Chief, Mass Media Bureau 1. On November 5, 1996, the Commission adopted three related rulemaking items regarding national and local ownership of television stations and attribution of broadcast and cable/MDS ownership interests. Notice of Proposed Rule Making in MM Docket Nos. 96-222, 91-221, and 87- 8, FCC 96-437 (released November 7, 1996) (national ownership proceeding); Second Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in MM Docket Nos. 91-221 and 87-8, FCC 96-438 (released November 7, 1996) (local ownership proceeding); Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making in MM Docket Nos. 94-150, 92-51, and 87-154, FCC 96-436 (released November 7, 1996) (attribution proceeding). Comments in all three of these proceedings were due by February 7, 1997, and reply comments were initially due March 7, 1997. In addition, on September 17, 1996, the Commission adopted a Notice of Inquiry regarding its policy for waiving its newspaper/radio cross ownership restriction. Notice of Inquiry in MM Docket 96-197, 11 FCC Rcd 13003 (1996). Comments in that proceeding were initially due to be filed by December 9, 1996, and reply comments by January 8, 1997. By Order released December 5, 1996, the Commission extended the comment and reply comment deadlines in that proceeding to coincide with the comment and reply comment deadlines in the national ownership, local ownership, and attribution proceedings. In so doing, the Commission reasoned that the issues raised in the newspaper/radio cross ownership proceeding were similar to those raised in the other three rulemaking proceedings, and that it was appropriate that the four proceedings share the same comment and reply comment deadlines to facilitate the development of a more comprehensive record. By Order adopted and released January 30, 1997, in response to a request filed by the Media Access Project ("MAP"), the Commission extended the time for filing reply comments in all four proceedings to March 21, 1997. 2. On February 21, 1997, MAP, on behalf of itself and a number of other organizations, filed an "Emergency Request for Further Extension of Time to Submit Reply Comments" in the national ownership, local ownership, and attribution proceedings. MAP bases its request on the breakdown of the Commission's Record Imaging Processing System, or "RIPS." MAP requests that the reply comment deadline be extended "for not less than ten days, the due date to be determined at such time as...[RIPS] is restored to full operational status, such that the extension is equal to the period of time that the RIPS system was inoperative." In support of its request, MAP argues that the RIPS system is the primary mechanism for determining what comments have been filed and for reviewing comments, and that the RIPS breakdown has interfered with the preparation of reply comments and "significantly exacerbated" the hardships MAP cited in its earlier request for extension of time. MAP also contends that its comments are among the few filed on behalf of viewers and listeners in these dockets, and that it is responding to numerous comments filed in numerous inter-related dockets in proceedings which are among the most important undertaken by the Commission in many years. 3. As set forth in Section 1.46 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  1.46, it is our policy that extensions of time for filing comments in rulemaking proceedings shall not be routinely granted. We do not believe that a further extension of the reply comment deadline in the above-captioned proceedings is warranted. We gave interested parties three months in which to prepare and file initial comments in the three proceedings for which MAP requests a further extension of time, and have already extended the reply comment deadline two weeks in response to MAP's earlier extension request. Although we recognize the number and complexity of the issues raised in these dockets, we believe ample time has been provided to review and respond to the initial comments filed in these proceedings. In addition, while we recognize that the RIPS system is useful in determining what commenters have filed in a proceeding and in reviewing those comments, the Commission's reference room contains a paper docket that can be used for the same purpose. In fact, prior to the implementation of the RIPS system, the paper docket was the primary means of accessing comments filed in Commission proceedings. Although MAP's request for a further extension of the reply comment deadline did not reference the newspaper/radio cross ownership proceeding, we have included that proceeding in the caption of this Order consistent with our determination to maintain a concurrent schedule for all four proceedings. 4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that the Emergency Request for Further Extension of Time to Submit Reply Comments filed in MM Docket Nos. 94-150, 92-51, 87-154, 91-221, 87-8, and 96-222 by MAP is denied. 5. This action is taken pursuant to authority found in Sections 4(i) and 303(r) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C.  154(i) and 303(r), and Sections 0.204(b), 0.283, and 1.45 of the Commission's rules, 47 C.F.R.  0.204(b), 0.283, and 1.45. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Roy J. Stewart Chief, Mass Media Bureau