History
In March 2001, the early law suit about these rules finally was completed and a federal appeals court decision concluded the FCC’s selection of a 30 percent cap was not sufficiently well-justified to withstand constitutional scrutiny, but it upheld most of the attribution rules.
In September 2001, the FCC initiated a proceeding to consider the national ownership rule and the attribution rule again on remand from the court. (See FCC Press Release on the subject, Text of FCC Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, and Statement of Commissioner Copps.)
Media Access Project filed in support of establishing the rule at 30 percent:
- 2002 Comments by MAP and others.
- 2002 Legal Reply Comments by MAP
- 2002 Economic Reply Comments filed by Consumer Federation of America and others.
In December 2001, the FCC relaxed certain aspects of the attribution rules it previously strengthened.
- FCC Decision.
- MAP’s statement strenuously opposing this decision.
Media Access Project has been fighting to have the national cable cap implemented for many years. Other prior FCC fillings by Media Access Project about the national cable cap:
- 2000 Petition for Reconsideration asking the FCC to change aspects of its decision.
- 2000 Reply to others opposing MAP’s petition
Prior filings on the cable attribution rules:
- 2000 Petition for Reconsideration asking the FCC to change aspects of its decision.
- 2000 Reply to others opposing MAP’s petition
- 1997 Comments of MAP, et al., on the attribution notice, filed by MAP and the Institute for Public Representation (summary of 1997 comments) in response to the FCC’s Notice on when to attribute minority stock and debt holdings as counting towards its ownership limits (also in WordPerfect Format).