FCC Votes To Issue Rulemaking Proposals On Net Neutrality Rollback, Rules Review, Main Studio Rule Elimination

NPRMs

As expected, the FCC voted at its open meeting TODAY (5/18) to move forward with three significant Notices of Proposed Rulemaking, the rollback of last year's Title II Net Neutrality order, a comprehensive review of rules governing broadcasters, cable, and satellite TV (other than ownership rules, which are covered by the Quadrennial Review), and elimination of the Main Studio Rule.

The Net Neutrality rollback proposal and the rules review were approved by a party-line 2-1 vote, with Chairman AJIT PAI and Commissioner MICHAEL O'RIELLY in favor and Commissioner MIGNON CLYBURN dissenting. The Main Studio Rule NPRM approval were unanimous.

On the rules review, the Commission said, "The FCC’s action invites public comment on which media rules should be modified or eliminated as unnecessary or burdensome. Through this review, the FCC seeks to reduce regulations that can stand in the way of competition, innovation, and investment in the media marketplace. The Commission also seeks input regarding specific rules from which small businesses should receive regulatory relief. Today’s media entities are subject to a multitude of regulations, many of which are decades old. By launching this initiative, the FCC takes another step toward modernizing its rules to the benefit of American consumers."

The proposal for changing the Main Studio Rule would eliminate both the rule requiring a main studio be located in or near its community of license and the requirement that a main studio be staffed during regular business hours and able to originate programming. The release about the proposal said, "Today, modern communications enable stations and community members to interact more directly, without the presence of a local broadcast studio. In addition, community members already, or soon will, have online access to a station’s public file, removing the need for community members to visit the main studio to access the file."

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