Federal Communications Commission DA 07-3218 Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In the Matter of Tribune Broadcast Holdings, Inc. Licensee of Station KRCW-TV Salem, Oregon ) ) ) ) ) Facility I.D. No. 10192 NAL/Acct. No. 0741420056 FRN: 0005751029 NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE Adopted: July 18, 2007 Released: July 20, 2007 By the Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau: I. INTRODUCTION 1. In this Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (“NAL”) issued pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended (the “Act”), and Section 1.80 of the Commission’s Rules (the “Rules”),1 by the Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau pursuant to authority delegated under Section 0.283 of the Rules,2 we find that Tribune Broadcast Holdings, Inc. (the “Licensee”), licensee of Station KRCW-TV, Salem, Oregon (the “Station”), apparently willfully and repeatedly violated Section 73.670 of the Rules, by failing to comply with the limits on commercial matter in children’s programming.3 Based upon our review of the facts and circumstances before us, we conclude that the Licensee is apparently liable for a monetary forfeiture in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000). II. BACKGROUND 2. In the Children’s Television Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-437, 104 Stat. 996-1000, codified at 47 U.S.C. §§ 303a, 303b and 394, Congress directed the Commission to adopt rules, inter alia, limiting the number of minutes of commercial matter that television stations may air during children’s programming, and to consider in its review of television license renewal applications the extent to which the licensee has complied with such commercial limits. Pursuant to this statutory mandate, the Commission adopted Section 73.670 of the Rules, which limits the amount of commercial matter which may be aired during children’s programming to 10.5 minutes per hour on weekends and 12 minutes per hour on weekdays. The Commission also stated that a program associated with a product, in which commercials for that product are aired, would cause the entire program to be counted as commercial time (a “program-length commercial”).4 3. On September 29, 2006, the Licensee filed its license renewal application (FCC Form 303-S) for Station KRCW-TV (the “Application”) (File No. BRCT-20060929APG). In response to 1 47 U.S.C. § 503(b); 47 C.F.R. § 1.80. 2 See 47 C.F.R. § 0.283. 3 See 47 C.F.R. § 73.670. 4 Children’s Television Programming, 6 FCC Rcd 2111, 2118, recon. granted in part, 6 FCC Rcd 5093, 5098 (1991). Federal Communications Commission DA 07-3218 2 Section IV, Question 5 of the Application, the Licensee stated that, during the previous license term, the Station failed to comply with the limits on commercial matter in children’s programming specified in Section 73.670 of the Rules. In Exhibit 19 and in an April 13, 2007 amendment to the Application, the Licensee indicated that between October 18, 2003, and April 7, 2007, the Station exceeded the children’s television commercial limits on nine occasions. Of these nine overages, three were 30 seconds in duration, two were 60 seconds in duration and four were characterized as program-length commercials. The Licensee attributed the 30-second overages, one 60 second overage, and the program-length commercials to human error and/or inadvertence. Further, the Licensee indicated that the 60 second overage was caused by human error on the part of an employee of GDMX, an entity that provides the WB Network with program format, content integration, and satellite uplink services. The Licensee described the corrective procedures it implemented following these incidents to prevent future violations. III. DISCUSSION 4. On nine occasions, including four program-length commercials, the Station’s broadcast of material that exceeded the children’s television commercial limits constitutes an apparent willful and repeated violation of Section 73.670. This NAL is issued pursuant to Section 503(b)(1)(B) of the Act. Under that provision, any person who is determined by the Commission to have willfully or repeatedly failed to comply with any provision of the Act or any rule, regulation, or order issued by the Commission shall be liable to the United States for a forfeiture penalty.5 Section 312(f)(1) of the Act defines willful as “the conscious and deliberate commission or omission of [any] act, irrespective of any intent to violate” the law.6 The legislative history to Section 312(f)(1) of the Act clarifies that this definition of willful applies to both Sections 312 and 503(b) of the Act,7 and the Commission has so interpreted the term in the Section 503(b) context.8 Section 312(f)(2) of the Act provides that “[t]he term ‘repeated,’ when used with reference to the commission or omission of any act, means the commission or omission of such act more than once or, if such commission or omission is continuous, for more than one day.”9 5. Congress was particularly concerned about program-length commercials because young children often have difficulty distinguishing between commercials and programs.10 Given this congressional concern, the Commission made it clear that program-length commercials, by their very nature, are extremely serious violations of the children’s television commercial limits, stating that the program-length commercial policy “directly addresses a fundamental regulatory concern, that children who have difficulty enough distinguishing program content from unrelated commercial matter, not be all the more confused by a show that interweaves program content and commercial matter.”11 6. The Licensee attributed the some of the violations to human error and/or inadvertence. The Commission, however, has repeatedly rejected human error and inadvertence as a basis for excusing violations of the children’s television commercial limits.12 To the extent that the Licensee argues that the 5 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(1)(B); see also 47 C.F.R. § 1.80(a)(1). 6 47 U.S.C. § 312(f)(1). 7 See H.R. Rep. No. 97-765, 97th Cong. 2d Sess. 51 (1982). 8 See Southern California Broadcasting Co., Memorandum Opinion and Order, 6 FCC Rcd 4387, 4388 (1991). 9 47 U.S.C. § 312(f)(2). 10 S. Rep. No. 227, 101st Cong., 1st Sess. 24 (1989). 11 Children’s Television Programming, 6 FCC Rcd at 2118. 12 See, e.g., LeSea Broadcasting Corp. (WHKE(TV)), 10 FCC Rcd 4977 (MMB 1995); Buffalo Management Enterprises Corp. (WIVB-TV), 10 FCC Rcd 4959 (MMB 1995); Act III Broadcasting License Corp., (WUTV(TV)), 10 FCC Rcd 4957 (MMB 1995); Ramar Communications, Inc. (KJTV(TV)), 9 FCC Rcd 1831 (MMB 1994). Federal Communications Commission DA 07-3218 3 remaining violation was caused by an error which occurred in the programming supplied by the Station’s television network or was inserted into the program by the Station’s television network, this contention does not relieve it of responsibility for the violation. The Commission has consistently held that a licensee’s reliance on a program’s source or producer for compliance with our children’s television rules and policies will not excuse or mitigate violations which do occur.13 Furthermore, corrective actions may have been taken to prevent subsequent violations of the children’s television rules and policies, but that, too, does not relieve the Licensee of liability for the violations which have occurred.14 7. The Commission’s Forfeiture Policy Statement and Section 1.80(b)(4) of the Rules establish a base forfeiture amount of $8,000 for violation of Section 73.670.15 In determining the appropriate forfeiture amount, we may adjust the base amount upward or downward by considering the factors enumerated in Section 503(b)(2)(D) of the Act, including “the nature, circumstances, extent and gravity of the violation, and, with respect to the violator, the degree of culpability, any history of prior offenses, ability to pay, and such other matters as justice may require.”16 8. In this case, the Licensee failed to comply with the limits on commercial matter in children’s programming on nine occasions, including four program-length commercials. Accordingly, we find that the Licensee is apparently liable for a forfeiture in the amount of $15,000 for its apparent willful and repeated violation of Section 73.670. IV. ORDERING CLAUSES 9. Accordingly, IT IS ORDERED, pursuant to Section 503(b) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 1.80 of the Commission’s Rules, that Tribune Broadcast Holdings, Inc. is hereby NOTIFIED of its APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE in the amount of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) for its apparent willful and repeated violation of Section 73.670 of the Commission’s Rules. 10. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, pursuant to Section 1.80 of the Commission’s Rules, that, within thirty (30) days of the release date of this NAL, Tribune Broadcast Holdings, Inc. SHALL PAY the full amount of the proposed forfeiture or SHALL FILE a written statement seeking reduction or cancellation of the proposed forfeiture. 11. Payment of the proposed forfeiture must be made by check or similar instrument, payable to the order of the Federal Communications Commission. The payment must include the NAL/Acct. No. and FRN No. referenced above. Payment by check or money order may be mailed to Federal Communications Commission, at P.O. Box 358340, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15251-8340. Payment by overnight mail may be sent to Mellon Bank/LB 358340, 500 Ross Street, Room 1540670, Pittsburgh, 13 See, e.g., Max Television of Syracuse, L.P. (WSYT(TV)), 10 FCC Rcd 8905 (MMB 1995); Mt. Mansfield Television, Inc. (WCAX-TV), 10 FCC Rcd 8797 (MMB 1995); Boston Celtics Broadcasting Limited Partnership (WFXT(TV)), 10 FCC Rcd 6686 (MMB 1995). 14 See, e.g., WHP Television, L.P. (WHP-TV), 10 FCC Rcd 4979, 4980 (MMB 1995); Mountain States Broadcasting, Inc. (KMSB-TV), 9 FCC Rcd 2545, 2546 (MMB 1994); R&R Media Corporation (WTWS(TV)), 9 FCC Rcd 1715, 1716 (MMB 1994); KEVN, Inc. (KEVN-TV), 8 FCC Rcd 5077, 5078 (MMB 1993); International Broadcasting Corp., 19 FCC 2d 793, 794 (1969). 15 See Forfeiture Policy Statement and Amendment of Section 1.80(b) of the Rules to Incorporate the Forfeiture Guidelines, Report and Order, 12 FCC Rcd 17087, 17113-15 (1997) (“Forfeiture Policy Statement”), recon. denied, 15 FCC Rcd 303 (1999); 47 C.F.R. § 1.80(b)(4), note to paragraph (b)(4), Section I. 16 47 U.S.C. § 503(b)(2)(D); see also Forfeiture Policy Statement, 12 FCC Rcd at 17100-01; 47 C.F.R. § 1.80(b)(4); 47 C.F.R. § 1.80(b)(4), note to paragraph (b)(4), Section II. Federal Communications Commission DA 07-3218 4 Pennsylvania 15251. Payment by wire transfer may be made to ABA Number 043000261, receiving bank Mellon Bank, and account number 911-6229. 12. The response, if any, must be mailed to Office of the Secretary, Federal Communications Commission, 445 12th Street, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20554, ATTN: Barbara A. Kreisman, Chief, Video Division, Media Bureau, and MUST INCLUDE the NAL/Acct. No. referenced above. 13. The Commission will not consider reducing or canceling a forfeiture in response to a claim of inability to pay unless the respondent submits: (1) federal tax returns for the most recent three- year period; (2) financial statements prepared according to generally accepted accounting practices (“GAAP”); or (3) some other reliable and objective documentation that accurately reflects the respondent’s current financial status. Any claim of inability to pay must specifically identify the basis for the claim by reference to the financial documentation submitted. 14. Requests for full payment of the forfeiture proposed in this NAL under the installment plan should be sent to: Associate Managing Director- Financial Operations, 445 12th Street, S.W., Room 1-A625, Washington, D.C. 20554.17 15. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that copies of this NAL shall be sent, by First Class and Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested, to Tribune Broadcast Holdings, Inc., 10255 SW Arctic Drive, Beaverton, Oregon 97005, and to its counsel, R. Clark Wadlow, Esquire, Sidley Austin Brown & Wood LLP, 1501 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Barbara A. Kreisman Chief, Video Division Media Bureau 17 See 47 C.F.R. § 1.1914.