§  0.605   Procedures for announcing meetings.

   (a) Notice of all open and closed meetings will be given.

   (b) The meeting notice will be submitted for publication in the Federal
   Register on or before the date on which the announcement is made.
   Copies will be available in the Press and News Media Division on the
   day the announcement is made. Copies will also be attached to "FCC
   Actions Alert", which is mailed to certain individuals and groups who
   have demonstrated an interest in representing the public in Commission
   proceedings.

   (c)(1) If the agency staff determines that a meeting should be open to
   the public, it will, at least one week prior to the meeting, announce
   in writing the time, place and subject matter of the meeting, that it
   is to be open to the public, and the name and phone number of the
   Chief, Press and News Media Division, who has been designated to
   respond to requests for information about the meeting.

   (2) If the staff determines that a meeting should be closed to the
   public, it will refer the matter to the General Counsel, who will
   certify that there is (or is not) a legal basis for closing the meeting
   to the public. Following action by the General Counsel, the matter may
   be referred to the agency for a vote on the question of closing the
   meeting (See §  0.606).

   (d)(1) If the question of closing a meeting is considered by the agency
   but no vote is taken, the agency will, at least one week prior to the
   meeting, announce in writing the time, place and subject matter of the
   meeting, that it is to be open to the public, and the name and phone
   number of the Chief, Press and News Media Division.

   (2) If a vote is taken, the agency will, in the same announcement and
   within one day after the vote, make public the vote of each
   participating Commissioner.

   (3) If the vote is to close the meeting, the agency will also, in that
   announcement, set out a full written explanation of its action,
   including the applicable provision(s) of §  0.603, and a list of
   persons expected to attend the meeting, including Commission personnel,
   together with their affiliations. The Commissioners, their assistants,
   the General Counsel, the Executive Director, the Chief, Press and News
   Media Division, and the Secretary are expected to attend all Commission
   meetings. The appropriate Bureau or Office Chief and Division Chief are
   expected to attend meetings which relate to their responsibilities (see
   subpart A of this part).

   (4) If a meeting is closed, the agency may omit from the announcement
   information usually included, if and to the extent that it finds that
   disclosure would be likely to have any of the consequences listed in
   §  0.603.

   (e) If the prompt and orderly conduct of agency business requires that
   a meeting be held less than one week after the announcement of the
   meeting, or before that announcement, the agency will issue the
   announcement at the earliest practicable time. In addition to other
   information, the announcement will contain the vote of each member of
   the agency who participated in the decision to give less than seven
   days notice, and the particular reason for that decision.

   (f) If, after announcement of a meeting, the time or place of the
   meeting is changed or the meeting is cancelled, the agency will
   announce the change at the earliest practicable time.

   (g) If the subject matter or the determination to open or close a
   meeting is changed, the agency will publicly announce the change and
   the vote of each member at the earliest practicable time. The
   announcement will contain a finding that agency business requires the
   change and that no earlier announcement of the change was possible.

   (47 U.S.C. 154, 155, 303)

   [ 42 FR 12867 , Mar. 7, 1977, as amended at  44 FR 12425 , Mar. 7, 1979;  44 FR 70472 , Dec. 7, 1979; 64 FE 2150, Jan. 13, 1999]

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