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c* ta k N e tx t P a n ip s trir
M E R R IM A C K , S S
S U P E R IO R C O U R T
G reat N orthern R adio, L L C and V O X V erm ont, L L C
v .
N assau Broadcasting H oldings, Inc., N assau Broadcasting, LLC ,
N assau Broadcasting III, LLC , and N assau Broadcasting Partners, L.P.
N O . 0 7 -E -0 5 1 1
O R D E R
T h is a c tio n a ris e s fro m a s e rie s o f a g re e m e n ts , e x e c u te d b y th e p a rtie s in 2 0 0 4 fo r
sale of ten radio stations from the Plaintiffs to the D efendants. O ne of these stations,

W W O D , w as licensed by the F ederal C om m unications C om m ission ("F C C ") to broadcast in H a rtfo rd , V e rm o n t. T h e p a rtie s in te n d e d to s e e k a c h a n g e o f W W O D 's c o m m u n ity o f lic e n s e to K e e s e v ille , N e w Y o rk . B e c a u s e o f th e e x tra tim e n e e d e d to c h a n g e W W O D 's c o m m u n ity o f lic e n s e , th e p a rtie s a g re e d to s p lit th e $ 2 1 m illio n A s s e t P u rc h a s e

A g re e m e n t in to tw o c o m p o n e n ts . A p a y m e n t o f $ 1 8 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 w a s d u e a t th e tim e o f th e c lo s in g o f th e tra n s a c tio n a n d a s e c o n d p a y m e n t o f $ 3 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 w a s d u e a t th e la te r o f: 1 ) th e c lo s in g o f th e s to c k p u rc h a s e a g re e m e n t b e tw e e n th e P la in tiffs a n d th e

D e fe n d a n ts ; o r 2 ) th e o c c u rre n c e o f th e F e d e ra l C o m m u n ic a tio n C o m m is s io n 's g ra n t o f
a c o n s tru c tio n p e rm it fo r th e re lo c a tio n o f W W O D fro m H a rtfo rd , V e rm o n t to
K e e s e v ille , N e w Y o rk ; a n d e x e c u tio n o f a tra n s m itte r le a s e fo r W W O D in K e e s e v ille , N e w
Y o rk . T h e a d m in is tra tiv e p ro c e s s fo r o b ta in in g th e n e c e s s a ry F C C a p p ro v a l fo r W W O D
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w as com m enced by the parties in M arch of2 0 0 4 b u t th e a d m in is tra tiv e p ro c e e d in g s
h a v e b e e n c o n te n tio u s a n d a re s till p e n d in g . A th ird p a rty , H a ll, h a s o p p o s e d th e
transfer. N either one of the conditions set forth in the 2004 agreem ent has yet occurred.
I. P rocedural B ackground
P la in tiffs h a v e file d th is d e c la ra to ry a c tio n s e e k in g d a m a g e s a n d o th e r re lie f

a rg u in g th a t th e y a re e n title d to th e $ 3 m illio n d o lla r p a y m e n t b e c a u s e th e D e fe n d a n ts h a v e b re a c h e d th e ir o b lig a tio n to d ilig e n tly p u rs u e th e g ra n t o f th e p e titio n s to m o v e a n d c o n s tru c t th e n e w W W O D b y re q u e s tin g ra tin g o f th e L e b a n o n /R u tla n d /W h ite R iv e r Junc tion m arket, failing to take any ac tion to rec tify errors in applic ations to the F C C after it w as aw are o f th e erro rs in th e ap p lic atio n s, an d failin g to tim ely file p etitio n s a n d a p p lic a tio n s to th e F C C . S e e ,e .g .,P e titio n fo r D e c la ra to ry J u d g m e n t, p a ra g ra p h s

5 2,5 7 , 6 1 . S p e c ific a lly , P la in tiffs a lle g e th a t D e fe n d a n ts k n e w a t th e tim e th e y re q u e s te d
a m arket rating, that the req uest w ould delay or prevent the W W O D m ove, and
th e re fo re a llo w th e D e fe n d a n ts to re fu s e to m a k e th e fin a l $ 3 ,0 0 0 ,0 0 0 p a y m e n t.
T h is c a s e w a s c o n s o lid a te d o n P la in tiffs ' m o tio n o n N o v e m b e r
20, 2004 w ith
a n o th e r a c tio n p e n d in g in th is c o u rt,B irc h B ro a d c a s tin g , In c ., e t a l. v . C a p ita l
B ro a d c a s tin g C o rp ., In c .,w h ic h in v o lv e d m a n y o f th e s a m e p a rtie s . T h eB irc h case w as
trie d in D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 9 a n d th e p a rtie s , p rio r to tria l, jo in tly m o v e d , a n d th e C o u rt
g ra n te d , a m o tio n-to sever on D ecem er2 ,2009. T here
are a num ber\ue000
o f p e n d in g
m o tio n s , a ll o f w h ic h in v o lv e th e P la in tiffs ' d e s ire to ta k e d is c o v e ry .
A . T h e D e fe n d a n t's M o tio n fo r S u m m a r y J u d g m e n t
\ue000

The D efendants filed a M otion for Sum m ary Judgm ent dated O ctober 30, 2009. T h e M o tio n fo r S u m m a ry J u d g m e n t a rg u e s th a t a s a m a tte r o f la w th e P la in tiffs c a n n o t s h o w th a t th e d e la y in th e F C C 's g ra n tin g o f th e W V V O D c o n s tru c tio n p e rm it w a s c a u s e d

b y th e re q u e s t fo r " ra tin g " o f th e L e b a n o n / R u tla n d /W h ite R iv e r J u n c tio n m a rk e t a s
o p p o s e d to th e o b je c tio n s o f th e th ird p a rty c o m p e tito r H a ll. In th e ir m o tio n ,

D efendants deny there w as anything w rongful about their req uest to rate the m arket or th a t th e y e n g a g e d in a n y o th e r c o n d u c t in b re a c h o f th e ir o b lig a tio n s to P la in tiffs . T h e y s ta te th a t e v e n if a ll o f th e P la in tiffs ' a lle g a tio n s o f w ro n g fu l c o n d u c t a re a c c e p te d a s

tru e , P la in tiffs c a n n o t re c o v e r o n a n y o f th e ir c la im s , s in c e a s a m a tte r o f la w th e y c a n n o t
show any causal connection betw een that alleged m isconduct and the FCC's lengthy
d e la y in a c tin g u p o n th e tra n s fe r a p p lic a tio n . T h e D e fe n d a n ts ' b a s ic a rg u m e n t is th a t
th e re c o rd s o f th e F C C p ro c e e d in g s th e m s e lv e s s h o w th a t th e a g e n c y 's d e la y in is s u in g its
d e c is io n h a d n o th in g to d o w h a ts o e v e r w ith th e ra tin g is s u e a b o u t w h ic h P la in tiffs
c o m p la in . T h e y a rg u e th a t it is w e ll s e ttle d th a t a n a d m in is tra tiv e a g e n c y 's d e lib e ra tiv e
process and the reasons for its actions can be established
o n ly by reference to its public
a c ts a n d p ro n o u n c e m e n ts , c itin g U n ite d S ta te s v . A T & T , 5 2 4 F .S u p p . 1 3 8 1 , 1 3 8 6 - 1 3 8 7
(D .D .C . 1 9 8 1 ).
S h o rtly a fte r it w a s file d , P la in tiffs s o u g h t to d e fe r a ru lin g o n th e M o tio n .
B ecause counsel for the parties in this case w ere preparing for trial in the related B irch
m att-
, at req uesi of the Plaintiffs on N ovem ber2 32 0-0 9-, the C ourt ordered-th a t
a

R e s p o n s e to th e D e fe n d a n ts ' p e n d in g M o tio n fo r S u m m a ry J u d g m e n t o u tlin in g th e reasons w hy further discovery w as necessary to respond to the m otion on the m erits should be filed by January 11,2 0 1 0 .

Plaintiffs tim ely filed a R esponse and argued that
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