Ion, Univision, Trinity Press FCC for Permanent Grandfathering Under UHF Discount
The FCC “eagerly allowed” broadcasters to build their networks under the UHF discount “with absolutely no indication that such ownership would not be permanent or transferable,” said Ion, Univision and Trinity Broadcasting on an Aug. 11 conference call with an…
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aide to Chairman Tom Wheeler, according to an ex parte filing posted Tuesday in docket 13-236. The UHF Discount lets broadcasters count UHF stations as half-stations for purposes of calculating how close they are to the FCC's national ownership cap. “The Companies represented on the call had utilized the Discount, with the Commission's full encouragement, to develop competitive television networks that have added to the diversity of viewing choices.” If the FCC eliminates the discount, “only full grandfathering for the current owners and free transferability to new owners would guarantee that their investments would not be lost and that the value of their programming networks and network reach would not be jeopardized,” the companies said. A waiver policy to consider “new ownership structures” for the affected companies “is neither workable nor realistic,” they said. A draft FCC order would eliminate the discount (see 1608080051).