Sec. 1.244  Designation of a settlement judge.

    (a) In broadcast comparative cases involving applicants for only new 
facilities, the applicants may request the appointment of a settlement 
judge to facilitate the resolution of the case by settlement.
    (b) Where all applicants in the case agree that such procedures may 
be beneficial, such requests may be filed with the presiding judge no 
later than 15 days prior to the date scheduled by the presiding judge 
for the commencement of hearings. The presiding judge shall suspend the 
procedural dates in the case and forward the request to the Chief 
Administrative Law Judge for action.
    (c) If, in the discretion of the Chief Administrative Law Judge, it 
appears that the appointment of a settlement judge will facilitate the 
settlement of the case, the Chief Judge will appoint a ``neutral'' as 
defined in 5 U.S.C. 581 and 583(a) to act as the settlement judge.
    (1) The parties may request the appointment of a settlement judge of 
their own choosing so long as that person is a ``neutral'' as defined in 
5 U.S.C. 581.
    (2) The appointment of a settlement judge in a particular case is 
subject to the approval of all the applicants in the proceeding. See 5 
U.S.C. 583(b).
    (3) The Commission's Administrative Law Judges are eligible to act 
as settlement judges, except that an Administrative Law Judge will not 
be appointed as a settlement judge in any case in which the 
Administrative Law Judge also acts as the presiding officer.
    (4) Other members of the Commission's staff who qualify as neutrals 
may be appointed as settlement judges, except that staff members whose 
duties include drafting, review, and/or recommendations in adjudicatory 
matters pending before the Commission shall not be appointed as 
settlement judges.
    (d) The settlement judge shall have the authority to require 
applicants to submit their Standardized Integration Statements and/or 
their written direct cases for review. The settlement judge may also 
meet with the applicants and/or their counsel, individually and/or at 
joint conferences, to discuss their cases and the cases of their 
competitors. All such meetings will be off-the-record, and the 
settlement judge may express an opinion as to the relative comparative 
standing of the applicants and recommend possible means to resolve the 
proceeding by settlement. The proceedings before the settlement judge 
shall be subject to the confidentiality provisions of 5 U.S.C. 574. 
Moreover, no statements, offers of settlement, representations or 
concessions of the parties or opinions expressed by the settlement judge 
will be admissible as evidence in any Commission licensing proceeding.
[ 56 FR 793 , Jan. 9, 1991, as amended at  62 FR 4171 , Jan. 29, 1997]