[opendtv] FCC Commissioners disagree on media cross-ownership rules
- From: "Manfredi, Albert E" <albert.e.manfredi@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2007 12:54:30 -0500
Chairman Martin proposes to allow local newspapers in large markets to own one
radio or one TV station. Arguing that we now have many more news outlets than
we did 30 years ago, and that otherwise a lot of newspapers will simply go out
of business.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278113A1.pdf
This is the reaction of Commissioners Copps and Adelstein:
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http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278142A1.pdf
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE NEWS MEDIA CONTACTS
November 13, 2007 Rick Chessen: 202 418 2000
Rudy Brioché: 202 418 2300
JOINT STATEMENT BY COMMISSIONERS COPPS AND ADELSTEIN ON
CHAIRMAN MARTIN'S CROSS-OWNERSHIP PROPOSAL
This is portrayed as a moderate proposal, but it is a wolf in sheep's clothing.
Don't let the wool be pulled over your eyes. The proposal could repeal the
ban in every market in America, not just the top twenty. Any city, no matter
how small, could be subjected to newspaper broadcast ownership combinations
under a very loose standard.
Under Chairman Martin's plan, all markets will be open to one company combining
broadcast properties with cable, the newspaper (already a monopoly in most
places), even the Internet Service Provider. His proposal could propel a
frenzy of competition-stifling mergers across the land. He can try to
characterize his plan as affecting only the "largest markets," but consider:
o The top 20 markets account for over 43% of U.S. households. Even on its
face, this proposal directly affects over 120 million Americans.
o The Chairman then creates a loophole that Big Media will drive a truck
through, permitting a newspaper-broadcast combination in any market in the
country. We have seen how loosely the Commission has granted waivers in the
past. If this proposal goes through, the FCC could grant cross-ownership
applications in such small towns as Meridian, Mississippi and Bend, Oregon.
When big conglomerates can't get their way in a general rule, they press for
loopholes that swallow the rule, and they would succeed with this approach.
o The non-top four stations that major newspapers will now be competing for are
precisely the stations more likely to be owned by small, independent
broadcasters. If we ever got serious about women and minority ownership, these
are also the stations most available to them. Chairman Martin's rule pretty
much reserves these outlets for the big guys. So this proposal actually
perpetuates the shamefully low levels of minority and female media ownership.
The Martin rules are clearly not ready for prime time. Under the Chairman's
timetable, we count 19 working days for public comment. That is grossly
insufficient. The American people should have a minimum of 90 days to comment,
just as many Members of Congress have requested. More importantly, the
Commission has yet to finish its Localism proceeding, teed up four years ago,
or to forward comprehensive ideas to increase women and minority ownership of
broadcast outlets.
There is still time to do this the right way. Congress and the thousands of
American citizens we have talked to want a thoughtful and deliberate
rulemaking, not an alarming rush to judgment characterized by insultingly short
notices for public hearings, inadequate time for public comment, flawed studies
and a tainted peer review process - all designed to make sure that the Chairman
can deliver a generous gift to Big Media before the holidays. For the rest of
us: a lump of coal.
We realize there is some urgency with respect to the Tribune transaction. The
Chairman, however, has refused to act on Tribune's waiver requests that would
permit the transaction to close. Let us be clear: it is improper to hold the
Tribune hostage in order to force a vote on media ownership before the end of
the year. We are prepared to vote on the Tribune waiver requests within three
working days after the Chairman circulates a draft decision. There is simply
no excuse for using Tribune as a human shield.
-------------------------------------------
I think, instead, that it is difficult to rationalize why the
newspaper/radio/TV cross-ownership rules should be very different from the TV
and radio station local ownership cap rules, any longer. Isn't it most
important to encourage multiple sources of news, without limiting the media
each of these multiple sources can use? As long as these local caps are set low
enough, this should work.
If people are not reading newspapers, then what's wrong with having those
newspaper points of view aired over media people do use?
Bert
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