FCC Buried Key Reports on Media Consolidation; Public Hearings Set

[Omaha Steve]

http://blog.aflcio.org/2006/09/20/fcc-buried-key-reports-on-media-consolidation-public-hearings-set/

FCC Buried Key Reports on Media Consolidation; Public Hearings Set

by Tula Connell, Sep 20, 2006

Heads up on two key developments in the move by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to change media ownership regulations.

* The FCC is finally scheduling public hearings.
* Two FCC-commissioned reports documenting the harmful results of further consolidation were buried by the FCC in 2004.

On June 23, the FCC issued a “Notice of Proposed Rulemaking,” the first step in changing media ownership regulations. Over the summer, the two Democratic FCC commissioners took part in several town hall meetings sponsored by Stop Big Media, a coalition of organizations working to stop corporate dominance of the nation’s media. The three Republican FCC commissioners did not see fit to attend. As reported by Stop Big Media, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Bush appointee, is eager to eliminate two key protections:

* The rule on “newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership,” which prevents companies from owning a TV or radio station and the major daily newspaper in the same area.
* The local ownership caps that limit a company from owning more than one TV station in most markets. (They can own two in larger markets as long as there are at least eight other competitors.)

In other words, as it attempted—and failed to do in 2003—the Republican-dominated FCC is trying again to hand over what’s left of the independent media to giants like Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., General Electric Co. and Clear Channel Communications.

But feeling the heat from a public not happy with being left out of the decision making process, FCC Chairman Martin now has scheduled eight official FCC hearings, the first slated for Los Angeles Oct. 3. Meanwhile, the deadline for initial public comments is Sept. 22, with Nov. 21 as the deadline for reply comments. (Click here to file your comments with the FCC.)

FULL story at link above.