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If you need the complete document, download the WordPerfect version or Adobe Acrobat version, if available. ***************************************************************** Before the Federal Communications Commission Washington, D.C. 20554 In re Application of ) ) KBVO LICENSE, INC. ) (Assignor) ) ) and ) File No. BAPLCT-990514IA ) CBS CORPORATION ) (Assignee) ) ) For Consent to the Assignment of the ) License for Station KEYE-TV, Austin, Texas) ) MEMORANDUM OPINION AND ORDER Adopted: August 3, 1999 Released: August 3, 1999 By the Chief, Mass Media Bureau: 1. The Commission, by the Chief, Mass Media Bureau, acting pursuant to delegated authority, has before it for consideration the above-captioned, uncontested application seeking consent to assign the license for station KEYE-TV (Channel 42, CBS), Austin, Texas, from KBVO License, Inc. to CBS Corporation (CBS). 2. CBS indirectly controls Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, the corporate parent of the licensees of radio stations KJCE(AM), Rollingwood, KKMJ-FM, Austin, KAMX(FM), Luling and KQBT(FM), Taylor, Texas (Infinity Radio Stations). Station KEYE-TV's Grade A contour encompasses the cities of license of stations KJCE(AM), KKMJ-FM and KQBT(FM). While station KEYE-TV's Grade A contour does not encompass station KAMX(FM)'s city of license, that station's 1mV/m contour encompasses Austin. Therefore, to permit its common ownership and operation of station KEYE-TV and the four Infinity Radio Stations, CBS requests waiver of 47 C.F.R. Section 73.3555(c), the Commission's one-to-a-market rule, which generally proscribes the common ownership of television and radio stations in the same market. For the following reasons, we will grant a conditional waiver of the one-to-a-market rule, as well as the proposed license assignment application. Background 3. The Commission has established standards for waiver of its one-to-a-market rule pursuant to the Second Report and Order in MM Docket 87-7, 4 FCC Rcd 1741 (1988) (Second Report and Order), recon. denied in part and granted in part, 4 FCC Rcd 6489 (1989) (Second Report and Order Recon.). In accordance with these standards, the Commission presumptively favors requests involving: (1) stations serving the top 25 markets where at least 30 separately owned, operated and controlled stations will remain following the proposed combination; or (2) "failed" stations, i.e., stations which have not been operational for a substantial period of time (four months or more) or are involved in bankruptcy proceedings. If a waiver request does not meet either of these two presumptive waiver standards, then the request must be evaluated under the case-by-case standard. 47 C.F.R.  73.3555(c), Note 7. Under the case-by-case standard, the Commission makes a public interest determination by weighing five factors: (1) the potential public benefits of joint operation of the facilities, such as economies of scale, cost savings, and programming and service benefits; (2) the types of facilities involved; (3) the number of media outlets owned by the applicant in the relevant market; (4) the financial difficulties of the stations involved; and (5) the nature of the relevant market in light of the level of competition and diversity after the joint operation is implemented. Second Report and Order, 4 FCC Rcd at 1753. We note that not all of the five factors are necessarily relevant in every case. Id. at 1761. 4. CBS submits its waiver request pursuant to the case-by-case standard because the Austin Designated Market Area (DMA) is the 60th ranked television market, and none of the subject stations are failed stations. Further, prevailing precedent dictates that CBS' waiver request be evaluated under the case-by-case approach because the radio component of the proposed combination exceeds those permitted prior to the adoption of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. See Triathlon Broadcasting of Little Rock Licensee, Inc., 12 FCC Rcd 13907 (MMB 1997); S.E. Licensee G.P., 11 FCC Rcd 16727 (1996) (permanent waivers permitted when combination does not exceed 1 television, 2 AM and 2 FM stations). In such cases, the Commission has declined to grant permanent waivers of the one-to-market rule, and instead has granted temporary waivers conditioned on the outcome of related issues raised in the television ownership rulemaking proceeding. See Television Ownership Second Further Notice, 11 FCC Rcd at 21689. In this case, CBS asks that we split the proposed combination into two separate transactions and grant a permanent waiver to permit it to own station KEYE-TV, two of the FM stations and the one AM station. For the remaining FM station, CBS requests that we grant a temporary waiver conditioned on the outcome of the television rulemaking proceeding. See Television Ownership Second Further Notice, supra n.2. CBS does not state for which ownership combination it would like the Commission to grant a permanent one-to-a-market waiver and for which ownership combination it would like a temporary waiver. It is not Commission practice to examine piecemeal proposed ownership combinations that would exceed the limits set forth in the one-to-a-market rule. We examine the complete ownership combination to determine whether a waiver would serve the public interest. Therefore, we find that a permanent waiver would not be appropriate here and deny CBS' request. Accordingly, we will examine CBS' waiver showing under our case-by-case criteria to determine whether CBS' conditional common ownership of one television, one AM radio and three FM radio stations in the Austin DMA is consistent with the public interest. 5. Waiver Showing: Benefits of Joint Operation. First, CBS maintains that its proposed acquisition of station KEYE-TV will result in new operating and advertising efficiencies, broaden access to, and awareness of, public interest and community programming, as well as significantly improve the quality of news, weather, traffic and other community service programming provided by all the stations. To wit, CBS asserts that the proposed ownership combination of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations will yield economic efficiencies and cost savings totalling approximately $400,000 per year. This figure is based on annual cost savings of: (1) $50,000 in corporate overhead by offering existing in-house legal, engineering, administrative and accounting services to station KEYE-TV; (2) $25,000 due to the stations' combined purchasing power for direct mail, outdoor advertising, promotional merchandise and audience research services; (3) $250,000 in regular cross-promotions of news coverage by station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio stations, jointly-promoted public service campaigns and community service events and joint advertising of employment opportunities; and (4) $75,000 resulting from the consolidation of radio and television programming, including the sharing of television news resources, such as reporters, talent, stringers and wire service, for local, national and international news, traffic coverage, weather reports, emergency weather bulletins and live local coverage of local emergencies. 6. According to CBS, these monetary savings and other synergies generated by their common ownership will allow station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations to improve their technical facilities, public affairs programming and community outreach efforts, and to provide new and expanded programming services to the public. For example, because of the severe weather conditions prevalent in the Austin area, CBS proposes to devote a portion of the cost savings realized from the common ownership of station KEYE and the Infinity Radio Stations to improve the ability of each station in the ownership combination to gather and disseminate up-to-the-minute weather information on a regular and emergency basis. The Infinity Radio Stations, moreover, will have access to station KEYE-TV's three full-time, accredited meteorologists and weather forecast reports, including local emergency weather bulletins. Given these considerations, CBS posits that its proposed ownership combination will provide "substantial public interest benefits to the residents of the Austin who are affected by potentially adverse weather conditions, particularly during severe weather emergencies when access to one medium may not be available due to power outages." 7. As for benefits which will inure to programming, CBS begins by stating that its substantial news gathering resources will be available to station KEYE-TV. Similarly, the Infinity Radio Stations will have access to station KEYE-TV's "enhanced" news gathering resources, production and development facilities and related personnel. In this way, CBS maintains, the Infinity Radio Stations will be able to provide the listening public with even greater quantities of in-depth and comprehensive local, national and international news coverage, without incurring the substantial expense of developing and maintaining these resources on their own. To this end, CBS expects that station KEYE-TV's news staff will be able to provide news, weather and sports programming for one or more of the Infinity Radio Stations during either the morning or afternoon drive. Moreover, noting that station KEYE-TV is currently the only station in the Austin market which operates its own traffic helicopter, CBS adds that the Infinity Radio Stations will be able to expand the depth and accuracy of their traffic reports through their access to station KEYE-TV's helicopter traffic reports. 8. In addition, CBS anticipates that combining certain resources of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations will enhance the issue-responsive programming provided by all of the stations. In this regard, CBS refers to station KEYE-TV's practice of regularly contacting Austin's representatives in the United States Congress on issues of concern to the community and broadcasting the responses as a public service to the community. As a benefit of common ownership, CBS maintains that these responses, along with station KEYE-TV's regular consumer affairs program and "Eye on Events," a weekly 30-second spot airing three times per day that highlights local activities, fundraisers and community needs, will be available to the Infinity Radio Stations for rebroadcast, thereby introducing important information and community- oriented programs to new listeners. Further, CBS states that, in other markets where it owns a television station and radio stations, its radio stations offer an on-air radio program guide to CBS Television Network programming which addresses the educational and informational needs of children, and CBS proposes to provide a similar guide on the Infinity Radio Stations to inform listeners and viewers of such programming to be carried by station KEYE-TV. 9. CBS asserts that the common ownership of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations will also produce substantial benefits of a non-programming nature through public service initiatives and community projects. Pointing to its strong record of public service in the communities in which it has broadcast stations, CBS expresses its intention to continue promoting charitable and civic causes, and believes that the combined efforts of the Infinity Radio Stations with station KEYE- TV will make it possible to devote greater resources to the promotion and execution of events such as: (1) the "Make-a-Wish" campaign, an annual fundraiser co-sponsored by all of the Infinity Radio Stations to raise funds for Make-a-Wish, an organization that grants wishes to seriously ill children; (2) station KKMJ-FM's "Relay for Life," an annual fundraising walk co-sponsored with the American Cancer Society; (3) station KAMX(FM)'s "Halloween Blood Drive," an annual October event to raise blood for the Austin Blood Bank; (4) station KQBT(FM)'s "Tejano Christmas Toy Extravaganza," an annual fundraiser co-sponsored with the Hispanic Police Officers Association to raise money to buy toys for underprivileged children; (5) station KJCE(AM)'s "Black History Month" campaign, which draws the Austin community's attention to the contributions of Black Americans; (6) station KEYE-TV's Austin-Travis County Livestock Show and Rodeo, the largest non-profit scholarship donor in the Central Texas area; and (7) station KEYE-TV's "Petelethon," benefitting the local Humane Society. CBS claims that, through cross-promotions, public service announcements and news stories, station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio stations will be able to enhance the reach and effectiveness of these endeavors. Finally, CBS anticipates still another benefit in the prospective enhancement of equal employment opportunities at station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations by enabling them to participate in joint minority and female recruitment efforts, such as job fairs. 10. Other Media Interests/Types of Facilities. Next, CBS, which owns no other media outlets in the Austin DMA, discusses the types of facilities involved in the proposed television/one AM radio/three FM radio station combination. CBS indicates that station KEYE-TV, a UHF station, operates with a peak visual effective radiated power (ERP) of 2510 kW from an antenna height at 393 meters above average terrain (HAAT), and competes with six other television stations in the Austin "Television Metro Market." According to CBS, of those six competing stations, four have facilities comparable to or greater than station KEYE-TV's licensed facilities, and three have facilities comparable to or greater than station KEYE-TV's permitted facilities. 11. As for the Infinity Radio Stations, CBS describes KQBT(FM) as a Class C2 FM station operating at 48.0 kW from an antenna at 150 meters HAAT, KKMJ-FM as a Class C1 FM station operating at 50.0 kW from an antenna at 398 meters HAAT, KAMX(FM) as a Class C FM station operating at 100.0 kW from an antenna at 398 meters HAAT and KJCE(AM) as a Class B AM station operating on 1370 kHz with an ERP of 5 kW daytime and 0.5 kW nighttime. CBS indicates that the Infinity Radio Stations compete with 16 other FM and ten other AM stations in the Austin television metro market. Of the competing FM radio stations, CBS states that eight have facilities comparable to or superior than station KQBT(FM), four have facilities comparable to or superior than station KKMJ-FM and two have facilities comparable to station KAMX(FM). Regarding the competing AM radio stations, CBS maintains that three have facilities comparable or superior to station KJCE(AM). Based on these facts, CBS concludes that the stations in the proposed combination would not dominate the market by virtue of their technical facilities. Along this line, CBS further notes that, excluding its ownership of the Infinity Radio Stations, there are six other ownership combinations in the Austin market, including Capstar TX Limited Partnership's (Capstar TX) combination consisting of two television stations (a parent-satellite combination), one AM station and three FM stations. CBS contends that the combined facilities of its proposed station group are inferior to the combined facilities of Capstar TX's station group. 12. Financial Difficulties. CBS states that none of the television and radio stations involved in its one-to-a-market waiver request is experiencing financial difficulties. Nevertheless, CBS asserts, not all of the case-by-case factors are relevant in every case, and the Commission has previously granted numerous one-to-a-market waiver requests despite the fact that the subject stations were not in financial distress. 13. Competition and Diversity in the Market. The final factor CBS addresses concerns the nature of the relevant market vis-a-vis the Commission's concerns about diversity and competition. In doing so, CBS argues that, following consummation of the instant transaction, there will be a sufficiently diverse number of independent broadcast voices to ensure robust competition in the Austin DMA. Specifically, CBS maintains that, excluding the stations in its proposed station group, six other television stations are licensed to the Austin DMA, and at least 25 other radio stations (nine AM and 16 FM radio stations) are licensed to communities in the Austin television metro market. Another AM station, though not licensed to a community in the Austin television metro market, is licensed to a community in Caldwell County, the same county in which Luling, the city of license of one of the Infinity Radio Stations, station KAMX(AM), is located. These 32 broadcast stations, CBS indicates, are licensed to 20 separate owners. CBS also points to a wide variety of alternative media in the Austin DMA, which includes three daily newspapers with a combined circulation of nearly 220,000, 35 weekly publications with a combined circulation in excess of 273,000, numerous local and national magazines with extensive circulation in the market, 29 cable systems with a cable penetration of 66 percent, 14 low power television stations and four MMDS/MDS facilities. This level of diversity, CBS contends, is consistent with levels approved by the Commission in various one-to-a-market waiver requests in other similar markets, and was recently approved in the grant of a one-to-a-market waiver permitting Capstar TX's television/one AM radio/three FM radio station combination in the Austin market. See R. Steven Hicks, 14 FCC Rcd 4601 (MMB 1999). 14. In addition, CBS claims that the proposed television-radio combination will not economically dominate the Austin area. To this end, CBS states that the combined 1998 revenue share for the Infinity Radio Stations in Austin was 18.9 percent, and the 1997 revenue share for station KEYE-TV in the Austin market was 20.6 percent, whereas the advertising revenue shares for the three other major network affiliates, stations KVUE-TV (ABC), KXAN-TV (NBC) and KTBC(TV) (Fox), were 28.3 percent, 25.7 percent and 20.7 percent, respectively. Based on the 1998 revenue data for radio stations and the 1997 data for television stations, CBS asserts, the total radio/television share for the Infinity Radio Stations and station KEYE-TV would be only 20 percent. CBS insists that this revenue share is not only consistent with the revenue shares approved by the Commission in other waiver decisions, but is, in fact, lower than the 25.1 percent revenue share of Capstar TX's recently approved station group in Austin. Discussion 15. In evaluating a request for waiver of the one-to-a-market rule, our goal "is to permit the public to benefit from such efficiencies of operation as may be achieved through the use of common facilities and staff, consistent with the maintenance of diversity and vigorous competition within the market areas involved." Second Report and Order Recon., 4 FCC Rcd at 6491. We do not require that all five case-by-case criteria be satisfied as a precondition to waiver, but rather that the overall consideration of these factors weigh in favor of the public interest. Id. at 6493; Second Report and Order, 4 FCC Rcd at 1753. We find that, based upon its case-by-case showing, CBS has justified a temporary waiver conditioned on the outcome of the television rulemaking proceeding. 16. Turning to the first factor, the potential public interest benefits of joint ownership, the Commission considers the public interest benefits that will result from the proposed television-radio combination, such as projected economies of scale, cost savings, and programming and service benefits. Second Report and Order, 4 FCC Rcd at 1753. In this regard, CBS has demonstrated that the proposed television-radio combination will produce economic benefits and cost savings of approximately $400,000 per year resulting from, inter alia, cross-promotions of the radio and television stations, shared professional and administrative services, the stations' combined purchasing power for various types of promotions and advertising and shared programming and news resources. These are precisely the type of efficiencies the Commission anticipated from the joint ownership of radio and television stations in the same market. See Second Report and Order, 4 FCC Rcd at 1746- 1747. In addition, such efficiencies and annual cost savings will translate into enhanced news and weather resources services on station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations, and will provide further public service benefits through those stations' joint sponsorship and promotion of major community events and charitable causes. We also find that the joint minority and female recruitment efforts of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio stations may further promote equal employment opportunities at the stations. 17. As for the second factor of our analysis, the types of facilities involved, the Commission endeavors to predict and avoid any significant adverse effect on diversity or competition from too powerful a combination. Great American Television and Radio Co., 4 FCC Rcd 6347, 6349 (1989). While the technical facilities of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations are significant, we find that, given the numerous other stations in the Austin market with comparable or superior technical facilities, the television/one AM radio/three FM radio combination does not present issues of market dominance inconsistent with the public interest. Station KEYE-TV competes with six television stations in the Austin DMA, four of which have comparable or superior technical facilities to its licensed facilities, and three of which have comparable or superior technical facilities to its authorized facilities. Further, of the six competing stations, one is a VHF station affiliated with the Fox television network, four are UHF stations affiliated with the ABC, NBC and WB television networks and one is a UHF educational station. The radio stations face competition from at least 25 other radio stations (nine AM and 16 FM), a number of which have comparable or superior facilities to those of the Infinity Radio Stations. As we have noted elsewhere, "as the level of diversity and competition in a market increases, our concerns grounded in technical strength of the combining facilities decrease." Louis DeArias, 11 FCC Rcd 3662, 3666 (1996). 18. Regarding the fourth waiver factor, CBS acknowledges that none of the stations involved in its waiver request is experiencing financial difficulties. We note here, as we did supra  3, that not all of the case-by-case factors are relevant in every case. In fact, the Commission has previously granted one-to-a-market waivers where there was no finding that any of the stations were in financial distress. See, e.g., S. E. Licensee G.P., 11 FCC Rcd at 16734; Stockholders of Infinity Broadcasting, 12 FCC Rcd 5012, 5052 (1996). 19. Finally, in addressing the fifth waiver factor, CBS has shown that the proposed television- radio combination will not compromise diversity in the Austin DMA, the 60th largest television market in the country. CBS has no other media interests in the Austin market, and our review of its showing confirms that, upon grant of this application and excluding station KEYE-TV, the Austin market will be served by six other television stations. As for the number of radio outlets in the market, we note that one of the Infinity Radio Stations, KAMX(AM), is not located in the Austin television metro market, but in Caldwell County. Therefore, we will count as market stations not only those radio stations licensed to communities in the Austin television metro market, but also those radio stations licensed to Caldwell County. See WNNE Licensee, Inc., 13 FCC Rcd 12677 (MMB 1998); Triad Skywaives, Inc., 12 FCC Rcd 6102, 6107 (1997); James M. Ward, Trustee for Gadsden Broadcasting Company, 10 FCC Rcd 8741, 8743 and n.4 (1995). In doing so, we have determined that, excluding the Infinity Radio Stations, there are 25 radio stations licensed to communities in the Austin television metro market, and one station licensed to Caldwell County, for a total of 26 radio stations (10 AM and 16 FM). Excluding the subject television-radio combination, we find that, of these 32 television and radio broadcast stations, the Austin market will be served by 20 separately- owned broadcast "voices" following consummation of the proposed assignment. Further, because grant of these applications will continue an existing radio combination, there will be no decrease in the level of diversity among the radio stations in the Austin television metro market. CBS has demonstrated, moreover, that a wide variety of other media serve the Austin DMA, including three daily newspapers, 35 weekly publications, 29 cable systems with an aggregate 62 percent cable penetration and 14 low power television stations. 20. With respect to economic concentration and competition, our independent analysis discloses that the existing radio combination consisting of the Infinity Radio Stations garners 18.9 percent of the revenues in the Austin market, while station KEYE-TV garners 20.6 percent of television advertising revenue, the smallest share of television advertising revenue of the major network affiliates in the Austin DMA, viz., ABC, NBC and Fox. The instant transaction will result in a combined television and radio advertising share of 20 percent. This level of combined advertising revenue is consistent with revenue levels approved in other temporary, conditional one-to-a-market waivers, and is, in fact, lower than the combined advertising revenue of Capstar TX's recently approved station group, also located in the Austin DMA. See R. Steven Hicks, supra (25.6 percent of radio advertising revenue and 25.6 percent combined television and radio advertising revenue); see also S.E. Licensee G.P., 11 FCC Rcd at 16734 (40.4 percent of radio advertising revenue and 24.2 percent combined television and radio advertising revenue in the 42nd ranked market); Triathlon Broadcasting, 12 FCC Rcd at 13913 (44.02 percent of radio advertising revenue and 24.97 percent combined television and radio advertising revenue in the 57th ranked market). In view of these considerations, we find that the level of economic concentration resulting from the proposed television-radio combination does not pose a significant risk to competition in the market. 21. Based on the record, we conclude that approval of a temporary, conditional waiver of the one-to-a-market rule is warranted. Grant of the waiver will result in cost savings and economic efficiencies, which will enable the television and radio stations to enhance their news and weather services. Additionally, station KEYE-TV and each of the Infinity Radio Stations compete with at least two other radio stations having technically comparable and/or superior facilities in a market that is well-served by a significant number of independent voices and a variety of other media. For these reasons, we are persuaded that the public interest benefits resulting from the common-ownership of station KEYE-TV and the Infinity Radio Stations in the Austin market would outweigh any negative effect on diversity and competition, and that grant of a temporary, conditional waiver of the one-to-a- market rule is justified. CONCLUSION 22. Having determined that the applicants are qualified in all respects, we find that grant of the application to assign the license for television station KEYE-TV from KBVO License, Inc. to CBS Corporation will serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. 23. ACCORDINGLY, IT IS ORDERED, That the request for waiver of the Commission's one-to-a-market rule, Section 73.3555(c), to permit common ownership of radio stations KJCE(AM), Rollingwood, KKMJ-FM, Austin, KAMX(FM), Luling and KQBT(FM), Taylor, Texas and television station KEYE-TV, Austin, Texas IS GRANTED, subject to the outcome of the Commission's pending television ownership rulemaking in MM Docket Nos. 91-221 and 87-8. Should divestiture be required as a result of that proceeding, the licensee is directed to file, within six months from the release of the final order in that proceeding, an application for Commission consent to dispose of such station(s) as would be necessary for it to come into compliance with the rules as provided in the final order. 24. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED, That the application for consent to assignment of license for station KEYE-TV, Austin, Texas from KBVO License, Inc. to CBS Corporation, File No. BAPLCT-990514IA, IS GRANTED. FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION Roy J. Stewart Chief, Mass Media Bureau