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 Federal  Communications  Commission  FCC  06-  93 
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 STATEMENT  OF  COMMISSIONER  ROBERT  M.  MCDOWELL 
 Re:  2006  Quadrennial  Regulatory  Review  and  2002  Biennial  Regulatory  Review  –  Review  of  the  Commission’s  Broadcast  Ownership  Rules  and  Other  Rules  Adopted  Pursuant  to 
 Section  202  of  the  Telecommunications  Act  of  1996,  et  al.,  MB  Docket  Nos.  06-  121  and  02-  277,  MM  Docket  Nos.  01-  235,  01-  317  and  00-  244 


 With  this  Further  Notice,  we  embark  on  the  Commission’s  next  comprehensive  review  of  the  broadcast  ownership  rules.  Our  rules  must  take  into  account  the  dramatic  changes  that  have 
 occurred  in  the  media  landscape  since  the  Commission  adopted  them.  At  the  same  time,  we  must  ensure  that  the  rules  continue  to  promote  the  long-  standing  values  of  competition,  diversity  and 
 localism  that  lie  at  the  foundation  of  our  nation’s  broadcasting  system. 
 I  hope  that  our  review  will  result  in  a  reasoned  framework  that  answers  the  legal  and  evidentiary  issues  posed  to  us  by  the  Third  Circuit  in  the  Prometheus  decision  and  resolves  the 
 regulatory  uncertainty  that  followed  the  appeal  of  the  Commission’s  2002  order  through  the  courts.  The  questions  asked  in  the  Further  Notice  provide  a  solid  start  to  our  inquiry. 


 As  our  experience  with  the  2002  biennial  review  revealed,  the  debate  over  broadcast  ownership  is  a  debate  about  the  vitality  of  our  democracy  and  the  appropriate  balance  among 
 competitive  efficiencies,  diversity  of  voices  and  local  focus.  The  debate  elicits  the  opinions  and  passions  of  people  from  all  walks  of  life  from  all  over  the  country.  I  am  eager  to  learn  more 
 about  the  issues  from  the  perspectives  of  all  of  the  interested  parties,  be  they  broadcasters,  consumers,  academics,  artists  or  others. 


 I  thank  Donna  Gregg  and  the  Media  Bureau  staff  for  their  hard  work  on  this  important  proceeding.  I  support  the  Further  Notice  and  commend  the  Chairman  on  his  strong  leadership  in 
 this  area. 
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