Filing Comments

We welcome public comment on how the Commission should analyze, and possibly change, its broadcast-related ownership rules. A complete description of the rules under review is provided at Rules Under Review.

The FCC usually provides for a two-part comment cycle in its rulemaking proceedings, with an initial comment deadline followed by another deadline for reply comments. The FCC rulemaking proceedings thereby allow commenters “two bites at the apple”—meaning that they offer interested parties a chance to file opening comments that set forth the commenter’s own position on the issues, followed by an opportunity to review the initial comments filed by other commenters and submit a response. First-round comments were due on October 23, 2006. The due date for replies has been extended to January 16, 2007. (As noted below, however, we will accept informal comments filed after the reply deadline.)

Review of the comments is a key part of the Commission’s decision-making process in rulemakings. The Commissioners and the agency staff will consider the facts, data and arguments made in the comments as the Commission decides whether the existing rules should be changed and, if so, how they should be refashioned. Submissions that provide detailed facts, data and/or economic analyses are particularly useful.

Interested parties who wish to reply to comments filed by others—or to simply monitor the submissions that the Commission receives in this proceeding—generally use ECFS. The Commission’s electronic system not only provides a mechanism for filing comments, it also allows members of the public to find submissions filed in the docket and download particular documents for review and printing. To obtain electronic access to particular documents filed in the proceeding, use Search for Filed Comments. That link will take you to a search form that you must fill out in order to download any submission. (Although you need not fill out all the blank boxes in the form in order to access documents, at a minimum you must type the docket number -- 06-121 -- into the "Proceeding" box.) More details on how to use ECFS is available at Getting Started with the Electronic Comment Filing System.

Although we encourage interested parties to strive to file their submissions by the reply comment deadline of January 16, 2007, the Commission has taken procedural steps to allow for the input filed after that date. Late-filed submissions—known in FCC legal parlance as “ex parte communications”—will be placed in the rulemaking docket and considered along with material submitted earlier.

Because this is a “rulemaking of general applicability,” the Commission will not individually notify each commenter as to when the agency reaches its decision. Instead, we encourage interested parties to check the Media Ownership section of our website periodically for updates. We will post news about developments there promptly.

The Commission accepts comments filed electronically or on paper. We suggest that commenters who wish to file electronically use one of the two most popular options:

• To submit short comments of a few sentences or paragraphs, click on ECFS Express and follow the directions you will find there for filing in the Media Ownership proceeding, MB Docket No. 06-121.

• To submit comments of more than a few paragraphs, click on ECFS, which will take you to the main page for Electronic Comment Filing System. There you will find links to detailed instructions on how to use the system. The basic operation of ECFS allows commenters to upload an electronic document into a form that calls for identifying information about the commenter. Once a commenter provides that essential information and uploads the document, he or she hits the “send” button. (Although ECFS will accept documents in several different formats, including Word and Wordperfect, we generally recommend that filers convert their documents into Adobe Acrobat format for uploading.) When the filing is completed, ECFS will generate a receipt that serves as proof of filing.

Commenters who wish to file on paper must submit an original and four copies of each filing. You may send paper comments by hand or messenger delivery, by commercial overnight courier, or by first-class or overnight U.S. Postal Service mail (although we continue to experience delays in receiving U.S. Postal Service mail). All filings must be addressed to the Commission’s Secretary, Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission.

• The Commission’s contractor will receive hand-delivered or messenger-delivered paper filings for the Commission’s Secretary at 236 Massachusetts Avenue, NE., Suite 110, Washington, DC 20002. Filing hours at this location are 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. All hand deliveries must be held together with rubber bands or fasteners. Any envelopes must be disposed of before entering the building.

• If you wish to use commercial overnight mail (other than U.S. Postal Service Express Mail and Priority Mail), send the original and copies to 9300 East Hampton Drive, Capitol Heights, MD 20743.

• If you wish to use U.S. Postal Service first-class, Express or Priority mail, send the original and copies to 445 12th Street, SW, Washington DC 20554.

People with disabilities may contact the Commission to request materials in accessible formats (Braille, large print, electronic files, audio format, etc.). Please send your request by e-mail at FCC504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0531 (voice), 202-418-7365 (TTY).