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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  582 
 Before  the  Federal  Communications  Commission 
 Washington,  D.  C.  20554 


 In  the  Matter  of 
 Rules  and  Policies  Concerning  Multiple  Ownership  of  Radio  Broadcast 
 Stations  in  Local  Markets 
 Definition  of  Radio  Markets 


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 MM  Docket  No.  01-  317 
 MM  Docket  No.  00-  244 


 ORDER 
 Adopted:  March  8,  2002  Released:  March  8,  2002 
 By  the  Chief,  Mass  Media  Bureau: 
 1.  On  February  27,  2002,  pursuant  to  section  1.46  of  the  Commission’s  Rules,  1  the  Infinity  Broadcasting  Corporation,  Clear  Channel  Communications,  Inc.,  and  Hispanic 
 Broadcasting  Corporation  (hereafter,  “petitioners”)  filed  a  “Joint  Motion  for  Extension  of  Comment  and  Reply  Comment  Deadlines”  in  this  proceeding.  Previously,  on  January  23,  2002, 
 the  Commission  granted  a  motion  to  extend  the  original  deadlines  to  file  comments  and  reply  comments  by  extending  the  comment  deadline  for  30  days,  to  March  13,  2002,  and  April  10, 
 2002,  respectively.  2  Petitioners  now  ask  the  Commission  to  further  extend  the  comment  filing  deadlines  for  14  days,  to  March  27,  2002,  and  April  24,  2002,  respectively.  Petitioners  assert 
 that  they  have  made  every  effort  to  respond  meaningfully  to  the  Commission’s  request  for  in-depth  empirical  studies  by  the  March  13  deadline,  but  that  an  extension  is  needed  because 
 injuries  sustained  by  the  analyst  they  commissioned  to  conduct  a  diversity  study  have  delayed  the  final  report.  3  Petitioners  also  state  that  they  believe  all  commenters  would  benefit  from  an 
 extension  of  time  to  allow  a  careful  review  of  the  February  19,  2002  decision  in  Fox  v.  FCC,  which  they  state  raises  complex  and  significant  questions  about  the  Commission’s  review  of  the 
 local  radio  ownership  rule.  4 
 2.  We  believe  that  the  public  interest  would  be  served  by  granting  an  extension  of  the  comment  and  reply  comment  filing  deadlines.  In  this  proceeding,  the  Commission  seeks 


 comment  on  a  wide  range  of  issues  relating  to  multiple  ownership  of  radio  stations  in  local 


 1  47  C.  F.  R.  §  1.46. 
 2  See  Order,  MM  Docket  Nos.  01-  317  and  00-  244,  DA  02-  156  (rel.  Jan.  23,  2002).  (Petitioners  had  requested  a  45 
 day  extension.)  3 
 Motion  at  2.  4 
 Id.  at  2-  3. 
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 Federal  Communications  Commission  DA  02-  582 
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 markets,  including  the  statutory  framework  governing  local  radio  ownership,  diversity  and  competition  in  radio  markets.  We  will,  therefore,  extend  the  comment  and  reply  comment 
 deadlines  by  14  days.  We  believe  that  14  days  provides  sufficient  additional  time  for  petitioners  and  other  members  of  the  public  alike  to  prepare  comprehensive  comments  and  replies.  This,  in 
 turn,  will  help  the  Commission  in  its  decision-  making  and  resolving  the  complex  and  significant  public  policy  issues  raised  in  this  proceeding. 


 3.  Accordingly,  IT  IS  ORDERED  that  petitioners’  Joint  Motion  for  Extension  of  Comment  and  Reply  Comment  Deadlines  IS  GRANTED. 
 4.  IT  IS  FURTHER  ORDERED  that  the  deadline  for  filing  comments  in  this  proceeding  IS  EXTENDED  to  March  27,  2002. 
 5.  IT  IS  FURTHER  ORDERED  that  the  deadline  for  filing  reply  comments  in  this  proceeding  IS  EXTENDED  to  April  24,  2002. 
 FEDERAL  COMMUNICATIONS  COMMISSION 


 Roy  J.  Stewart  Chief,  Mass  Media  Bureau 
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