DID FOX & MURDOCH LUCK OUT ON FCC RECOMMENDATION?

     While most papers reported over the weekend that the FCC is
considering a proposal to force News Corp. Chair Rupert Murdoch
to restructure his ownership of Fox and its O&Os (see THE DAILY,
4/21), this morning's DAILY VARIETY is reporting that Washington
insiders say "Fox dodged a bullet by avoiding an FCC 'designation
for hearing'" -- a process that would "cripple Murdoch's
expansion plans for several years" as FCC staffers weighed
whether Fox's TV station licenses should be revoked (DAILY
VARIETY, 4/24).  As for the current FCC recommendation, Murdoch
laid blame on FCC Chair Reed Hundt, whom he said has "led an
attack on our company acting as both prosecutor and judge and
using clearly prejudicial procedures" (WALL STREET JOURNAL,
4/24).