§ 157.11 Hearings.

(a) General. The Commission will schedule each application for public hearing at the earliest date possible giving due consideration to statutory requirements and other matters pending, with notice thereof as provided by § 1.19(b) of this chapter: Provided, however, That when an application is filed less than fifteen days prior to the commencement of a hearing theretofore ordered on a pending application and seeks authority to serve some or all of the markets sought in such pending application or is otherwise competitive with such pending application, the Commission will not schedule the new application for hearing until it has rendered its final decision on such pending application, except when, on its own motion, or on appropriate application, it finds that the public interest requires otherwise. (b) Shortened procedure. If no protest or petition to intervene raises an issue of substance, the Commission may upon request of the applicant dispose of an application in accordance with the provisions of § 385.802 of this chapter.