FOURTH REPORT ON OWNERSHIP OF BROADCAST STATIONS
FOURTH REPORT ON OWNERSHIP OFBROADCAST STATIONSFCC Form 323 and Form 323-E Ownership Data as ofOctober 1, 2017DA 20-161Industry Analysis DivisionMedia BureauFebruary 2020This report is available for download from the Media Bureau website at https://www.fcc.gov/media.
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-161TABLE OF CONTENTSINTRODUCTION .1SUMMARY OF RESULTS.4Overview of 2017 Broadcast Ownership Data by Gender, Ethnicity, and Race .4Comparison of 2017 and 2015 Data for Key Categories .5A. Full Power Commercial Television .7B. Class A Television .10C. Low Power Television .13D. Commercial AM Radio.15E. Commercial FM Radio .18APPENDIX A: Glossary of TermsAPPENDIX B: Explanatory NotesAPPENDIX C: TablesTable A. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Full Power Commercial TelevisionTable B. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Class A TelevisionTable C. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Low Power TelevisionTable D. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Commercial AM RadioTable E. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Commercial FM RadioTable F. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Full Power Nonommercial TelevisionTable G. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Class A Noncommercial TelevisionTable H. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Low Power Noncommercial TelevisionTable I. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Noncommercial AM RadioTable J. 1(a)-3(c). 2017. Noncommercial FM Radioi
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-161INTRODUCTIONThis report presents data on ownership interests in commercial and noncommercial broadcast stations asof October 1, 2017.1 The report contains: (1) an overview of the tabulations of the 2017 commercial andnoncommercial broadcast ownership data presented by gender, ethnicity, and race;2 (2) a comparison ofcertain 2017 and 2015 data for commercial broadcast stations—full power television, Class A television,low-power television (LPTV), AM radio, and FM radio;3 and (3) more detailed information in theattached tables and appendices, as well as in accompanying spreadsheets released in conjunction with thisreport.4The Federal Communications Commission’s biennial commercial and noncommercial broadcastownership reporting forms—FCC Form 323 and Form 323-E, respectively—are designed to obtaindetailed ownership information, including data on racial and ethnic minority and female broadcastownership. Such broadcast ownership data can be compiled and aggregated and used as a source forfurther analysis. The Commission requires all commercial and noncommercial full power television andradio broadcast stations, as well as low power and Class A television stations, to file biennial ownershipreports using the same “as of” date (October 1) for reported data during each filing cycle.5 A station’sreport must identify all of its attributable interest holders.6 Forms 323 and 323-E also require allattributable interest holders to obtain and provide FCC Registration Numbers from the CommissionRegistration System (CORES FRNs) to facilitate the tracking and cross-referencing of reported ownershipinterests.7This report presents a tabulation of the fifth data collection using the current version of Form 323 and, forthe first time, using the current version of Form 323-E. The report reflects attributable ownershipinterests for commercial and noncommercial stations, as reported by licensees, as of October 1, 2017.8On November 14, 2012, the Media Bureau released the first electronic analysis of commercial broadcastownership data submitted pursuant to the revised biennial reporting requirements for 2009 and 2011.9Subsequent reports contained analyses of the commercial broadcast ownership data submitted during theThe Bureau’s previous Report presented data on commercial broadcast stations as reported in the 2015 filing cycle.See Third Report on Ownership of Commercial Broadcast Stations, FCC Form 323 Ownership Data as of October 1,2015 (MB 2017), port-data-october-1-2015 (Third 323Report).1In 2016, the Commission revised the Ownership Report for Noncommercial Broadcast Stations (Form 323-E) toalign the reporting requirements for noncommercial stations more closely with the requirements for commercialstations. See Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services et al., Report and Order, SecondReport and Order, and Order on Reconsideration, 31 FCC Rcd 398, 420-28, paras. 43-55 (2016) (2016 323 and 323E Order); see also Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services et al., Order onReconsideration, 32 FCC Rcd 3440 (2017) (2017 323-E Order on Reconsideration) (further revising noncommercialfiling requirements). Pursuant to the 2016 323 and 323-E Order, noncommercial stations are now required tosubmit biennial ownership reports on the same schedule applicable to commercial stations, including the October 1“as of” date. See 2016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 432-33, paras. 64-67. Such filings were submitted bynoncommercial licensees for the first time as part of the 2017 biennial filing cycle. See id. at 429, 432, paras. 58,66; Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services, Order, 31 FCC Rcd 13263, 13263-64,paras. 1-2 (MB 2016) (suspending rolling filing deadlines for noncommercial stations and instead requiring all suchstations to file on or before December 1, 2017).2Because this report contains ownership data for noncommercial broadcast stations for the first time, we have noprior data for noncommercial stations with which to provide a historical comparison, as we do for commercialstations.3The accompanying spreadsheets present ownership characteristics for each broadcast station, identified by itsFacility ID number. These spreadsheets also provide the current call sign for each broadcast station.4Recognizing that there are certain limited instances where a non-profit entity holds a commercial license—andtherefore parts of Form 323 may be inapplicable to the entity’s structure—the Commission permits such an entity to51
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-1612013 and 2015 filing cycles.10 The data contained in these reports are “snapshots” of the status ofminority and female ownership in the broadcast industry taken every two years. The collection,tabulation, and release of this data are useful to the public and the Commission, as they provide an insightinto the ownership of broadcast stations, both commercial and non-commercial, over time, that could berelevant to the Commission’s policymaking as well as used by interested parties in their advocacy efforts.These reports provide detailed information by race, ethnicity, and gender concerning ownership ofcommercial, and now noncommercial, television, radio, Class A television, and LPTV stations. TheMedia Bureau compiled the 2017 biennial ownership filings using both algorithmic analysis and manualadjustments to improve the accuracy of the reported ownership status and trends. As with previousreports, however, this report tallies and presents the data as provided to the Commission by filers.Therefore, its results ultimately rely on the accuracy and completeness of those filings.The 2017 filing cycle also marks the first time Form 323 and 323-E broadcast ownership data weresubmitted via the Commission’s Licensing and Management System (LMS).11 Parties can now searchand retrieve ownership reports submitted in LMS based on multiple criteria, including call sign, facilityID number, service, station location (city and state), and/or FCC Registration Number (FRN), amongother things.12 For each report listed, the LMS search results screen indicates whether that report wassubmitted for a licensee/permittee or for a parent entity. This improvement will help users quicklyidentify the filings that contain relevant station contracts and ownership structure information.13 Inaddition, the data contained in each Form 323 and 323-E ownership report are publicly available and maybe downloaded from the Commission’s website then aggregated, cross-referenced, and searchedelectronically by interested parties.14(Continued from previous page)file Form 323-E instead of Form 323. See 2016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 423-24, para. 48 n.175. Allstations that filed Form 323-E are treated as noncommercial for purposes of this report.Attribution of an ownership interest to an individual or entity is governed by the Commission’s rules and, in someinstances, requires a detailed case-by-case determination. The attribution rules represent the Commission’s bestjudgment concerning when an interest is sufficient to confer on the owner a potential degree of influence over alicensee that should be cognizable for purposes of applying the Commission’s broadcast ownership rules. See thenotes to 47 CFR § 73.3555.6In an effort to ascribe a unique identifier to each party, individuals reported on Form 323 or 323-E must provideeither a CORES FRN or a Restricted Use FRN (RUFRN). See 2016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 410-17,paras. 25-36. More detail concerning these requirements is provided in the 2016 323 and 323-E Order. See id. at412-20, 428-29, paras. 25-42, 56-58. In certain limited circumstances, individuals (but not entities) reported on theForm 323 or Form 323-E may use a Special Use FRN (SUFRN) in lieu of a CORES FRN or RUFRN. The 2016323 and 323-E Order eliminated the ability of commercial filers to provide SUFRNs for reported individuals exceptin very limited circumstances. See 2016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 412-20, 428-29, paras. 25-42, 56-59;see also 2017 323-E Order on Reconsideration at 4-9, paras. 7-14 (expanding the option for NCE filers to useSUFRNs).7The information in this report meets the Commission’s information quality guidelines. See Implementation ofGuidelines for Ensuring and Maximizing the Quality, Objectivity, Utility and Integrity of Information Pursuant toSection 515 of Public Law No. 105-554, Information Quality Guidelines, 17 FCC Rcd 19890 (2002).82
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-161Users of the information in this report should bear in mind that control of a licensee in the usual parlanceof our cases and procedures indicates either de jure or de facto control by identifiable individuals orgroups. Because the Bureau reports interests here that are held collectively by certain classes ofindividuals who may have no connection with one another beyond their shared classification by gender,ethnicity, or race, the fact that a particular class of individuals may have a majority of the voting stock orpartnership interests in a licensee does not necessarily indicate control by that class of individuals.Rather, absent a single majority interest holder, control of these stations would be determined on a defacto basis, which requires access to facts not reported on Form 323. Accordingly, this report refers tothese collective interests as “majority” interests, rather than “controlling” interests. Similarly, where nomajority interest is reported, a de facto control analysis would be required to determine actual control.15However, when a single individual, of whatever classification, holds a majority voting interest in alicensee, this would indicate de jure control by that individual and is considered a controlling interest.This document also reports the attributable positional interests of individuals by their gender, ethnic, andracial classifications.16 Consistent with the Commission’s rules, these individuals are deemed to have arole in the ownership and control of the broadcast licensee. Further, these individuals may exercisecontrol of a licensee where no single individual holds a majority of the voting interests in that licenseeand are more likely to exercise such control where no attributable voting interests are identified, but thiscannot be inferred from the Form 323/323-E data alone. As with all de facto control determinations, thespecific facts of each case would be required to determine actual control. Finally, our classification of alicensee in this report as having “No Majority Interest” does not necessarily mean that no classification ofpersons in this report has a majority interest in the station, only that these facts could not be determinedfrom the reported Form 323/323-E data in the absence of additional information.Some parties have suggested that, due to dissimilarities between the governance of commercial andnoncommercial stations, the concept of “ownership” for noncommercial stations may be less obvious thanin the context of commercial stations.17 Nonetheless, for both Form 323 (commercial) and Form 323-E(Continued from previous page)9 See First 323 Report, 27 FCC Rcd at 13815, para. 2.10See Third 323 Report, para. 1; Second 323 Report, 29 FCC Rcd at 7836, para. 2.See 2016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 438 n.279. Previously, reports were submitted via theCommission’s Consolidated Database System (CDBS).11The specialized ownership report search is available via the LMS Search y/public/tv/publicSearchLanding.html.1213Id.The relevant data tables are available via the LMS Public Database Files y/public/tv/lmsDatabase.html. While this report uses several differentmethodologies to analyze the Commission’s broadcast ownership data, members of the public may wish todownload the data and conduct different studies and analyses.14Because ownership of less than 5% of the outstanding voting stock of a corporation is not attributable, it iscommon for portions of a licensee’s voting stock not to be reported on Form 323/323-E, particularly where thelicensee is a public, widely held entity. In some cases, no attributable voting stock may be reported. See 47 CFR§ 73.3555, Note 2a.15Officers and directors of broadcast licensee entities, for example, are attributable based on their positions. See id.Note 2g. The relevant question on Form 323/323-E identifies the following additional categories of positionalinterests: General Partner; Limited Partner; LC/LLC/PLLC Member/Owner/Stockholder; Attributable Creditor; andAttributable Investor. The question also provides an “Other” option for users to specify an attribution category notcontained in our list. All stations reporting persons identified by any one of these categories are included in Tables 2and 3.16172016 323 and 323-E Order, 31 FCC Rcd at 422, para. 46.3
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-161(noncommercial) purposes, the concept of ownership relies on the attribution standards set forth inSection 73.3555 of the Commission’s rules, which generally do not depend on equity interests but instead“seek to identify those interests . . . that confer . . . a degree of influence or control such that the holdershave a realistic potential to affect the programming decisions of licensees or other core operatingfunctions.”18 The Commission’s attribution standards apply to both commercial and noncommercialstations, because the Commission has concluded that individuals and entities captured by these standardshave the potential to exert influence over the licensee, regardless of whether the station at issue iscommercial or noncommercial.19 Officers and directors therefore are attributable owners of thenoncommercial licensees they serve, and such individuals historically have been reported as attributableinterest holders on both commercial and noncommercial broadcast ownership reports.20SUMMARY OF RESULTSOverview of 2017 Commercial Broadcast Ownership Data by Gender, Ethnicity, and Race 21The following summary uses only data from the 2017 FCC Form 323 and Form 323-E biennial reportsand represents information current as of October 1, 2017 (the most current biennial informationavailable). A more detailed comparison between the 2017 data and 2015 data for commercial broadcaststations is presented separately below.Please note, the percentages of stations held by the various categories reported below are calculated onthe basis of the number of stations filing usable data relevant for each category of ownership, not on thebasis of the total number of licensed stations. Stations that did not file ownership reports, stations thatfiled insufficient data, as well as stations that are not included in the specific ownership category are notincluded in these calculations.22Reported Broadcast Ownership for Commercial Broadcast StationsGender23 Women collectively or individually held a majority of the voting interests24 in 874 commercialbroadcast stations, consisting of 73 full power commercial television stations (5.3%) of 1,368stations; 19 Class A television stations (5.8%) of 330 stations; 76 low power television stationsId. at 422-23, para. 47 (quoting Review of the Commission’s Regulations Governing Attribution of Broadcast andCable/MDS Interests, Report and Order, 14 FCC Rcd 12559, 12560, para. 1 (1999)).1819Id. at 423-24, para. 48.Id. at 422-23, paras. 47 (“Officers and directors of NCE stations already are defined as attributable interest holdersin NCE stations and they already are reported on Form 323-E.”).20The gender, ethnicity, and race categories identified in Forms 323 and 323-E follow the guidance provided by theOffice of Management and Budget. See Revisions to the Standards for the Classification of Federal Data on Raceand Ethnicity, Notice of Decision, 62 Fed. Reg. 58,782 (Oct. 30, 1997).21As mentioned above, the Commission in 2016 revised these forms to simplify the filing process, increase theresponse rate, improve the quality of submitted ownership data, and facilitate the Commission’s analysis of thatdata. We believe that the transition to LMS and the submission of additional filings in that system will continue toimprove the data collection.22Please note, throughout this report we have attempted to identify situations where individuals in various categories(e.g., individuals of the same gender, race, or ethnicity) collectively hold a majority interest in a station licensee. Inmany cases, no such majority voting block exists for a station, in which case the number of stations attributed to thevarious categories might not total 100%. As described above, stations with no discernable majority voting block arecategorized as “no majority interest.”23Voting interests include, for example, voting stock in a corporation, voting interests in a partnership, or votingmembership interests in a limited liability company.244
Federal Communications CommissionDA 20-161(7.4%) of 1,025 stations; 316 commercial AM radio stations (9.3%) of 3,407 stations; and 390commercial FM radio stations (7.2%) of 5,399 stations. Men collectively or individually held a majority of the voting interests in 8,736 commercialbroadcast stations, consisting of 735 full power commercial television stations (53.7%) of 1,368stations; 233 Class A television stations (70.6%) of 330 stations; 640 low power televisionstations (62.4%) of 1,025 stations; 2,669 commercial AM radio stations (78.3%) of 3,407stations; and 4,459 commercial FM radio stations (82.6%) of 5,399 stations.Ethnicity Hispanic/Latino persons collectively or individually held a majority of the voting interests in6
Report). 2 In 2016, the Commission revised the Ownership Report for Noncommercial Broadcast Stations (Form 323-E) to align the reporting requirements for noncommercial stations more closely with the requirements for commercial stations. See Promoting Diversification of Ownership in the Broadcasting Services et al., Report and Order, Second
Jan 01, 1980 · Fourth Shift Release 7.50 Fourth Shift Basics 7 Fourth Shift Basics Using Fourth Shift The Fourth Shift program contains a wide variety of features allowing you to enter, view, and
ownership structure, in the case of publicly listed firms, consists of two distinctive features: First, ownership concentration meaning if a firm is owned by one or few large owners (concentrated) or by multiple smaller owners (dispersed/diffused), and ownership identify, referring to the type of owner such as individuals/families, institutions .
Ericsson Fourth Quarter Report 2013 1 Ericsson fourth quarter and full year report 2013 JANUARY 30, 2014 FOURTH QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS Sales of SEK 67.0 b., flat YoY. Sales for comparable units and adjusted for FX, increased 4% YoY. Operating income incl. JV of SEK 9.1 (-3.8) b. with operating margin of 13.5% (-5.7%), including a one-time
The definitive guide to beneficial ownership Ideal for those who are new to the topic, or looking for a refresher course, this guide covers everything from what beneficial ownership is to the technology available to keep up with constant ownership change
The Van den Broecke car ownership model (1987) can be characterised as a combination of a cohort survival model and an econometric model. The econometric component is used for producing the impact of changes in income on car ownership. This model starts by relating car ownership to the numb
around the world, of the different kinds of private ownership, and of the prevalence of monopoly across countries and segments of the media industry. Our basic finding is that the two dominant forms of ownership of media firms around the world are ownership by the state and ownership by co
policy. Solberg and Zorn (1992) scrutinize interdependence among three policies, leverage, dividend, and insider ownership and find that leverage and dividend do affect managerial ownership, while managerial ownership affects financing and divi
The new industry standard ANSI A300 (Part 4) – 2002, Lightning Protection Systems incorporates significant research in the field of atmospheric meteorology. This relatively new information has a pro-found impact on the requirements and recommendations for all arborists who sell tree lightning protection systems. Since there are an average of 25 million strikes of lightning from the cloud to .
