Comments on Fox WWOR-TV Waiver Due Nov. 27, Stir Free Press Concern
Comments are due Nov. 27, replies Dec. 4 on Fox’s request for a permanent waiver of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule, said an FCC Media Bureau public notice in Monday’s Daily Digest. Fox was repeatedly granted temporary waivers of the rule…
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for its WWOR-TV Secaucus, New Jersey, starting in 2001, but the FCC didn’t grant one in 2018 because the NBCO rule was eliminated. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Prometheus IV ruling brought it back, and though an FCC appeal of that decision is pending at the Supreme Court, Fox requested a permanent waiver to provide certainty and preserve the status quo (see 2010060032). It has a similar permanent waiver for WNYW New York. The comment period is “exceedingly short,” Free Press said Monday. “The outgoing FCC could attempt to issue a decision before the agency transfers leadership to a Democratic majority following the swearing in of the Biden administration in January,” despite congressional calls for the agency to avoid controversial matters during the lame-duck period. Chairman Ajit Pai "wants to give more favors to media giants before he likely departs the FCC for good,” said the group. “The Trump FCC’s decision to grant a permanent waiver to Fox’s New Jersey and New York stations is part of a pattern of bending over backward to put industry interests before those of the people Pai and his GOP colleagues swore to serve.” The agency didn't immediately comment.