Media Contact: 
Neil Grace, (202) 418-0506
Neil.Grace@fcc.gov
For Immediate Release 
FCC STREAMLINES FOREIGN OWNERSHIP RULES & PROCEDURES 
FOR BROADCAST & COMMON CARRIER LICENSEES
Action Maintains Thorough Review of Foreign Ownership Above 25 Percent
WASHINGTON, September 29, 2016 – The FCC today adopted rules to extend to broadcast 
licensees the same streamlined rules and procedures that common carrier wireless licensees use to 
seek approval for foreign ownership, with appropriate broadcast-specific modifications. The FCC 
also reformed the methodology for publicly traded broadcast and common carrier licensees and 
controlling U.S. parents to assess compliance with the statutory foreign ownership limits.
The Communications Act establishes a 25 percent benchmark for foreign investment in U.S.-
organized entities that control a U.S. broadcast, common carrier, or aeronautical fixed or en route
radio licensee. Licensees must obtain FCC approval before foreign ownership exceeds 25 percent. 
The substantive review by the Commission of proposed, aggregate foreign ownership above 25 
percent will stay in place. As a result, the rules modernize the foreign ownership filing and review
processes so they are better adapted to the current business environment.
Adopting a standardized filing and review process for broadcast licensees’ requests for approval of 
foreign ownership will provide the broadcast sector with a clearer path for investment.  The 
reformed methodology for ascertaining foreign ownership of publicly traded licensees and 
controlling U.S. parents will eliminate the need to perform surveys or random samples of 
shareholders, which the Commission finds are impractical for public companies in today’s 
marketplace.
With this Report and Order, the Commission takes the following actions:
Extend Streamlined Common Carrier Foreign Ownership Procedures to Broadcast Licensees.    
? The Commission replaces the ad hoc case-by-case procedures for requesting approval of 
foreign ownership of broadcast licensees with a standardized filing and review process. 
? The streamlined rules and procedures allow a broadcast licensee to request in its Section 
310(b)(4) petition for declaratory ruling: 
o approval of up to and including 100 percent aggregate foreign ownership of its
controlling U.S. parent;
o approval for a proposed, controlling foreign investor to increase its equity and/or 
voting interests in the U.S. parent up to and including 100 percent at some future 
time without filing a new petition—this applies where the foreign investor would 
acquire an initial controlling interest of less than 100 percent; and 
o approval for a non-controlling foreign investor named in the petition to increase its 
equity and/or voting interests in the U.S. parent at some future time, up to and 
including a non-controlling 49.99 percent equity and/or voting interest.  
? The new rules require broadcast petitioners to seek specific approval only of foreign 
individuals or entities with a greater than 5 percent ownership interest (or, in certain 
situations, an interest greater than 10 percent).
? The new rules allow broadcast licensees that have foreign ownership rulings to apply those 
rulings to all radio and television broadcast licenses then held or subsequently proposed to 
be acquired by the same licensee and its covered subsidiaries and affiliates, regardless of the 
broadcast service (e.g., AM, FM, or TV) or the geographic area in which the stations are 
located.
Reform Methodology for Assessing Compliance with Section 310(b). 
? The reformed methodology provides a framework for a publicly traded licensee or 
controlling U.S. parent to ascertain its foreign ownership using information that is “known 
or reasonably should be known” to the company in the ordinary course of business.  
? For publicly traded licensees and U.S. parent companies, the item formalizes the current 
equitable practice of recognizing a licensee’s good faith efforts to comply with 310(b) 
where the non-compliance was due solely to circumstances beyond the licensee’s control 
that were not known or reasonably foreseeable to the licensee.
Action by the Commission, September 29, 2016, by Report and Order (FCC 16-128). Chairman 
Wheeler, Commissioners Clyburn, Rosenworcel, Pai and O’Rielly approving and issuing separate 
statements.  
GN Docket No. 15-236
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Office of Media Relations: (202) 418-0500
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www.fcc.gov/office-media-relations
This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes 
official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974)