Sec. 0.605  Procedures for announcing meetings.

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

[[Page 86]]

    (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 Sec. 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 Sec. 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 Sec. 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 will specify the nature of the emergency situation if it is 
not clear from the subject matter.
    (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, )
[42 303 FR 12867 , Mar. 7, 1977, as amended at  44 FR 12425 , Mar. 7, 1979;  44 FR 70472 , Dec. 7, 1979]