FCC Approves Liberman Reorganization and Waiver, Cites Nexstar/Tribune Standing Policy
The FCC Media Bureau approved transfer of stations between elements and debtors of Liberman Broadcasting as part of bankruptcy reorganization, and a temporary waiver of FCC rules on foreign ownership, said an order in Monday’s Daily Digest. The transfer will…
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Export Compliance Daily combines U.S. export control news, foreign border import regulation and policy developments into a single daily information service that reliably informs its trade professional readers about important current issues affecting their operations.
cause Liberman to be more than 25 percent foreign-owned, but the agency will allow the reorganized company to file a petition of declaratory ruling within 30 days of the transfer being completed, to allow bankruptcy proceedings to resolve. The waiver “would merely enable the LBI Debtors to emerge from bankruptcy before filing a petition for declaratory ruling,” the order said. The bureau granted Liberman’s request over the objections of Latinx for Equitable Media. Latinx didn’t demonstrate standing in most markets involved, said the order, referring to a new FCC policy on organizational standing articulated in the order approving Nexstar's buy of Tribune (see 1909160065). Latinx also based objections on allegations that were withdrawn during the bankruptcy proceedings, and sought FCC intervention on whether Liberman would continue to offer Spanish-language programming, the order said. “The Commission is prohibited by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution” from ”interfering with freedom of expression in Broadcasting,” the order said.