Streamlined Foreign Ownership Approval For Broadcasters Proposed

While we’re on the subject of ownership, we note that the FCC has proposed to extend the same streamlined procedures and rules used to review foreign ownership in common carrier licensees to – you guessed it – broadcasters.

In case you weren’t aware, the Communications Act limits foreign ownership in broadcast licensees to a 25% controlling interest. If foreign ownership will go above that mark, the FCC reviews that situation on a case-by-case, public interest driven analysis. That process is far from standardized, so it is daunting to even conceive of using it, much less doing so.

Under the FCC’s new standardized process, certain policies will be codified to make the process more certain, and provide avenues for seeking approval of up to 100% foreign ownership, subject to the FCC’s public interest review, or allowing increases up to 49.99% for previously approved owners without the necessity of a new filing.

You can read about the proposal here, and chime in with comments if you so desire.