In its triennial report to Congress on entry barriers for entrepr...

(3) Clarify the FCC’s authority to conduct innovative spectrum auction designs and to ease the relocation of incumbent licensees. (4) Expand Commission authority to authorize operation of radio stations without individual station licenses. (5) Amend the Telecom Act to address potentially anticompetitive pricing practices used by incumbent cable operators that might impede market entry by competitors. The report also outlined each bureau’s work toward the goal of easing barriers. For example, the Media Bureau has developed procedures to allow small businesses to acquire existing radio and TV stations from other combinations that exceeded the new media ownership limits. The bureau also relaxed initial DTV build-out requirements for smaller-market broadcasters in view of financial concerns, the report said. The Wireless Bureau adopted rules to implement a framework for the development of secondary markets in spectrum usage rights. Comr. Copps dissented from the Commission’s 2003 Small Business Report, calling it a “slapdash catalog of miscellaneous Commission actions” rather than a serious effort to improve the communications climate for small business. He also said the Commission failed to address the challenges faced by small businesses as telecom consumers.” Comr. Martin, who approved in part and concurred in part, said that although the legislative proposals might have merit, he reserved judgment on them because the commissioners “were provided with only limited time to consider” them. Comr. Adelstein, who approved in part and dissented in part, said he supported most of the report but disagreed with suggestions that the Commission’s new broadcast ownership rules would promote diversity of media voices or eliminate entry barriers for newcomers. “Entrepreneurs and small businesses, as well as the general public, are in no way better served by slashing media ownership protections,” he said.