Commiioner Pai Statement on Foreign Broadcasting

NEWS

Federal Communications Commission

News Media Information 202-418-0500

445 12th Street, S.W.

Internet: http://www.fcc.gov

Washington, DC 20554

TTY: 1-888-835-5322

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. Cir. 1974).

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:

October 24, 2013

Matthew Berry, 202-418-2005

Email: Matthew.Berry@fcc.gov

STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER AJIT PAI ON CIRCULATION OF

DECLARATORY RULING ADDRESSING FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN

BROADCASTING

I am very pleased that Chairwoman Clyburn has circulated an item to modernize the

agencys approach to foreign investment in the broadcasting business. Over a year ago, I called

for the elimination of the de facto ban on any foreign investment in a U.S. broadcast holding

company that exceeds a 25 percent benchmark.1 I am now optimistic that we will take that step

at our next Commission meeting.

Under our rules, a foreign company can indirectly hold more than a one-quarter stake in

our nations largest wireless carriers, cable operators, cable programmers, and Internet backbone

providers. Yet that company cannot own a similar interest in a single radio station in rural

Kansas. This disparity makes no sense, especially considering the difficult financial

circumstances facing many broadcasters. Now is the time for the Commission to revise this out-

of-date restriction.

I applaud the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council and the Coalition for

Broadcast Investment for their leadership on this issue. They have persuasively explained how

modernizing our foreign investment rules will enhance ownership diversity and give

broadcasters greater access to capital. I also thank all of those at the Commission who engaged

in the intra-governmental coordination necessary to move this proposal forward.

1 See Remarks of Commissioner Ajit Pai before the NAB Radio Show at 56 (Sept. 19, 2012), available at

http://go.usa.gov/Tj2G; see also Review of Foreign Ownership Policies for Common Carrier and Aeronautical

Radio Licensees under Section 310(b)(4) of the Communications Act of 1934, as Amended, IB Docket No. 11-133,

Second Report and Order, 28 FCC Rcd 5741, 584041 (Apr. 18, 2013) (Statement of Commissioner Ajit Pai),

available at http://go.usa.gov/WxhA; Statement of Commissioner Ajit Pai, Hearing Before U.S. Senate Committee

on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Oversight of the Federal Communications Commission at 9 (Mar. 12,

2013), available at http://go.usa.gov/Wxh9; Statement of Commissioner Ajit Pai on Modernizing Approach to

Foreign Investment in Broadcast Stations (Feb. 26, 2013), available at http://go.usa.gov/Wxhm.

LINK:	http://www.fcc.gov/document/commissioner-pai-statement-foreign-broadca...
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