September 27, 1996


Commissioner Ness Restates Support for Digital TV Standard
and Urges Industry Concensus
     

     Before the Washington Area Broadcasters Association,
Commissioner Susan Ness today underscored her support for
the FCC to adopt a transmission standard for digital television
(DTV), but recognized the need to restore inter-industry
consensus in the process.

       She said, "I have asked for the parties to sit down
together, to give serious consideration to each others'
arguments, and to see if a joint recommendation can be made
to the Commission that will benefit all."  Ness emphasized,
"Failure to adopt a single standard for broadcast transmission
will result in significant delay and disruption in the transition
from analog to digital."  She added, "so that the United States
will not lose the global leadership it now enjoys, we must press
ahead on the digital standard."

     Regarding broadcast ownership rules, Ness explained her
preference for making changes in FCC policy and standards by
rulemaking rather than by ad hoc determinations.   She said, "in
an actual rulemaking, we have the benefit of hearing from all
who are interested, as well as experts who have studied the
topic , and other governmental agencies.  It's also clear when
we complete a rulemaking what the rules of the game will be --
for everyone."

     As she discussed the broadcast attribution rules, Ness said
she is in favor of counting Local Marketing Arrangements (LMAs)
towards ownership limits in both radio and television.  

     Noting the Commission has acted on several broadcast
mergers and acquisitions this year, Ness distinguished the role of
other governmental agencies from the FCC in reviewing media
mergers, saying "while the Justice Department and the FTC have
responsibilities to review certain transactions, it is clear that the
FCC should make its own findings for each license transfer --
whether it serves the public interest, convenience, and necessity. 
We give great deference to a competitive analysis of the
advertising market from another governmental agency, but our
mission is broader:  for decades, we have looked at the likely
effect of the transfer on (a) competition and (b) diversity in the
market."  Ness pointed out that the measurement of diversity
could be improved by more realistic evaluation of the number of
independently owned "voices" in a market.

     Ness closed by recognizing the accomplishments of the
Washington Area Broadcasters in the area of equal employment
opportunity, and posed  a challenge to group owners to establish
"farm teams" so that less experienced women and minorities
are trained and given the opportunity to grow into
management positions.
    
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