*Pages 1--2 from Microsoft Word - 51441* Federal Communications Commission DA 05- 2425 1 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D. C. 20554 In the Matter of The Commission’s Cable Horizontal and Vertical Ownership Limits ) ) ) ) MM Docket No. 92- 264 ORDER Adopted: September 8, 2005 Released: September 8, 2005 Reply Comment Date: September 23, 2005 By the Acting Chief, Media Bureau: 1. On May 17, 2005, the Commission released its Second Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (“ Second Further Notice”) in the above- captioned proceeding. 1 The Commission initially set deadlines of July 8, 2005 for comments (30 days after publication in the Federal Register) and July 25, 2005 for reply comments (45 days after publication in the Federal Register). By Order released on June 22, 2005, the Media Bureau, acting on delegated authority, extended the comment and reply comment deadlines to August 8, 2005 and September 9, 2005, respectively, at the request of Media Access Project (“ MAP”), which filed that request on behalf of itself and other consumer groups, religious organizations and citizens groups. 2 2. On September 7, 2005, MAP filed an “Emergency Motion for Extension of Time of the National Association of Telecommunications Officer and Advisors and Media Access Project” (“ Motion”), requesting an additional two weeks to file reply comments. 3 MAP, filing on behalf of itself and NATOA, states that additional time is necessary because, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, it has devoted nearly all of its resources since September 1, 2005 to assisting community wireless and low power FM volunteers deploying needed services in the Gulf Coast region. Accordingly, MAP, counsel to a number of organizations participating in this proceeding, states that neither it nor NATOA have had the resources to prepare reply comments. 4 1 In the Matter of the Commission’s Cable Horizontal and Vertical Ownership Limits, 20 FCC Rcd 9374 (2005). 2 In the Matter of the Commission’s Cable Horizontal and Vertical Ownership Limits, Order, 20 FCC Rcd 10914 (Med. Bur., 2005). 3 Emergency Motion for Extension of Time of the National Association of Telecommunications Officer and Advisors (“ NATOA”) and Media Access Project (filed September 7, 2005). 4 Id. at 1. MAP notes that it could not timely file the Motion because it did not initially recognize that the relief efforts would consume more than a week and because MAP had not had the opportunity to prepare the Motion earlier. 1 Federal Communications Commission DA 05- 2425 2 3. It is the policy of the Commission that extensions of time are not routinely granted. We find, however, that there is good cause further to extend the due date for filing reply comments in response to the Second Further Notice. We recognize that Hurricane Katrina has devastated the Gulf Coast region and that organizations across the country have been forced to divert substantial resources to the recovery efforts. Thus, to accommodate parties who have been assisting in the recovery efforts and others who have encountered disruption because of the unusual circumstances arising from Hurricane Katrina, we extend the deadline for filing reply comments until September 23, 2005. 4. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED that MAP’s Emergency Motion for Extension of Time to file reply comments in the above- captioned proceeding is GRANTED. 5. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that, pursuant to Sections 4( i), 4( j) and 5( c) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U. S. C. §§ 154( i), 154( j) and 155 (c), and Sections 0.61, 0.283, and 1.46 of the Commission’s rules, 47 C. F. R. §§ 0.6, 0.283, and 1.46, the date for filing reply comments in MM Docket No. 92- 264 is extended until September 23, 2005. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Donna C. Gregg Acting Chief, Media Bureau 2