WASHINGTON-The Federal Communications Commission again extended the buildout time on the so-called Goodman/Chan licenses until current litigation can be resolved.
In a July 31 ruling, the FCC said Goodman/Chan licensees must build out their licenses within four months of the ruling being published in the Federal Register. That publication, however, won’t take place for some time because the FCC, as a courtesy, instructed its secretary to wait 20 days before submitting the item for publication. Items then must be processed before they can be published.
The Goodman/Chan licenses are the result of a dispatch radio application mill scandal that left consumers believing they could buy and then sell special mobilized radio licenses without building them out. FCC rules do not allow for the transfer of non-built licenses. The Goodman/Chan situation was cited specifically by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Commerce Committee, in a June 24 letter berating the FCC’s Wireless Telecommunications Bureau for its lack of action.
The courtesy delay on publishing the item in the Federal Register was extended so that Daniel R. Goodman, acting as a receiver for approximately 4,400 licenses, could decide whether to pursue a stay through the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. The appeals court had held in abeyance action on the Goodman stay request while the FCC reconsidered its original decision in the case. Last month’s decision affirmed the FCC’s May 22, 1995, order.
The FCC stated in its July 31 order it expects the 20-day delay will allow the court time to rule on a stay should Goodman choose to pursue the litigation.
