Amendment of List of Major Television Markets and Their Designated Communities

Riepilogo

This document requests comment on a proposal to amend the Commission's rules which list the major television markets and their designated communities by adding the communities of Merced and Porterville, California to the hyphenated market of Fresno-Visalia- Hanford-Clovis, California (the "Fresno-Visalia market"). A joint petition was filed on March 16, 1988 and at least one of the petitioners has expressed continued interest in the Commission acting on this petition. The joint petitioners seek to add Merced and Porterville to the Fresno-Visalia market apparently to be able to assert network non-duplication rights and syndicated programming exclusivity on a hyphenated market basis. The requested action would also permit the acquisition of broadcast territorial exclusivity rights against television stations operating in Merced and in Porterville. In a related proceeding, Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. ("CC/ABC"), licensee of television station KFSN, Fresno, California, filed a request for amendment or waiver of Sec. 76.51 of the Commission's rules to add the community of Merced to the Fresno-Visalia market. We address both petitions in this proceeding.