MMTC, Press Communications Disagree on Subcaps
No broadcast incubator applications have been filed, said the Multicultural Media, Telecom and Internet Council in early comments Tuesday on the FCC 2018 quadrennial review in docket 18-349. “Industry is balking because the agency has done nothing to welcome incubator…
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applicants,” said MMTC, saying the FCC should do an incubator workshop. MMTC wants to alter the incubator program to prevent broadcasters from receiving benefits in markets far larger than the ones where they offer incubation opportunities (see 1809280052). MMTC again suggested diversity rules on procurement and tradable diversity credits (see 1606240058) and said the FCC shouldn't eliminate or reduce local radio ownership subcaps. Press Communications disagreed. “Expanded ownership caps are essential” to allow radio broadcasters the scale to compete with satellite radio and streaming services such as Spotify, the company said. It offered three possible solutions: caps that change based on the prospective owner’s size, caps based on where a station’s market is, or allowing Class A broadcasters to double their ownership cap limits. “The hardships faced by Class A broadcasters are irrefutable and require an immediate change to the ownership limits,” Press said.