Merger Review Authority of the Federal Communications Commission

Ruane, Kathleen Ann

Library of Congress. Congressional Research Service.

关键词: Communciations;    Mass media;    Mass communication;    Business;    Law;   

RP-ID  :  RS22940
RP-ID  :  RS22940_2008Aug20

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

This report will explain the merger review process at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC or Commission). Whenever companies holding licenses issued by the FCC wish to merge, the merging entities must obtain approval from two federal agencies: the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FCC. The Commission and the DOJ do not follow precisely the same process or reasoning when examining the potential effects of proposed mergers. The Act permits the Commission to grant the transfer only if the agency determines that the transaction would be in the public interest. The public interest standard is generally broader than the competition analysis authorized by the antitrust laws and conducted by the DOJ. Therefore, the Commission possesses greater latitude to examine other potential effects of a proposed merger beyond its possible effect on competition in the relevant market.