FCC Assures We'll See Less
Justifying its decision because big media has more competition from the Internet and cable, the Federal Communications Commission today relaxed cross-media ownership rules, calling the decision a "limit on media concentration." It's the height of doublespeak to expand the number of major media outlets a single company can own and say that is "setting a limit." The Democrats on the Commission voted against the move, but Chairman Michael Powell and his colleagues won the day.
The FCC released example statistics on media ownership in 10 markets that "show" substantial changes in the number of media owners, but there is no supporting information in the spreadsheet to use in determining whether this information is accurate or reflects increasing ownership of media by local entities. Such a substantial change in policy should be backed up by more information.
Based on these rules, a single company could own virtually all the commercial outlets in a market and for some reason this is described as "lcoalism," when most media companies are non-resident owners.
To analyze localism in broadcasting markets, the FCC relied on two measures: local stations’ selection of programming that is responsive to local needs and interests, and local news quantity and quality. Program selection is an important function of broadcast television licensees and the record contains data on how different types of station owners perform. A second measure of localism is the quantity and quality of local news and public affairs programming by different types of television station owners.
That means that more "local" shows based on pre-packaged national programming qualifies as local programming, when what the FCC suggests it means is there will be more local programming.
More than a half million public comments were recorded, but there is no information in the ruling about whether what the FCC did reflects the will of the people. Michael Copps, a Democratic commissioner, however, reported that 99 percent of those filings were opposed to expanding ownership limits.Kenneth Ferree, media bureau chief at the FCC suggested during a press briefing that a "market where there are three newspapers" each newspaper could own a television station. History is quite clear about the fact that the number of newspapers is major markets has collapsed, so it is hard to understand where all this competition will emerge. A media company could own two stations in one small market, based on the comments Ferree is making right now on C-SPAN; but what is clear is that the order is so complex staff barely understands it -- Ferree is checking with staff on everything he says and it is very hard to follow. Here's a key passage:
Posted by Mitch Ratcliffe at June 2, 2003 09:05 AM | TrackBack
This rule replaces the broadcast-newspaper and the radio-television cross-ownership rules. The new rule states:
In markets with three or fewer TV stations, no cross-ownership is permitted among TV, radio and newspapers. A company may obtain a waiver of that ban if it can show that the television station does not serve the area served by the cross-owned property (i.e. the radio station or the newspaper.
In markets with between 4 and 8 TV stations, combinations are limited to one of the following:
(A) A daily newspaper; one TV station; and up to half of the radio station limit for that market (i.e. if the radio limit in the market is 6, the company can only own 3) OR
(B) A daily newspaper; and up to the radio station limit for that market; (i.e. no TV stations)
(C) Two TV stations (if permissible under local TV ownership rule); up to the radio station limit for that market (i.e. no daily newspapers.
In markets with nine or more TV stations, the FCC eliminated the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban and the television-radio cross-ownership ban.