The Seattle Times FCC wants media to think local

"Powell said yesterday the FCC would form a task force to determine whether broadcasters -- some of whom have been denounced for airing generic newscasts that originate in centralized studios -- should be compelled to produce more local news and other programming.

Powell said the agency would begin a formal inquiry into rules that would promote "localism" at TV and radio stations."

mediareform.network FCC asks Congress to draft new media rules

"Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell on Monday asked U.S. lawmakers to draft new media ownership rules, instead of simply undoing recent rules that relaxed restrictions on ownership.

"If we're going to do this, let's pass real laws ... that give the commission more specific guidance about what we want, not just an anti-vote," Powell told reporters after speaking to the Progress & Freedom Foundation Aspen Summit."

redux [08.07.03]
Editor & Publisher Media-Ownership Rules Face First Challenges

"Legal challenges to a Federal Communications Commission overhaul of media-ownership rules emerged Wednesday, with the regulations under fire both for allowing too few and too many mergers."

"Separately, organizations representing more than 600 local television stations affiliated with ABC, CBS, and NBC asked the court to reject the regulation that raised a TV ownership limit on the national reach of companies from 35% of U.S. households to 45%."

Mercury News House votes to throw out FCC media ownership rules

"Defying the will of the White House and the Republican-controlled Federal Communciations Commission, the House voted 400-21 today to overturn controversial rules adopted by the FCC in June that would allow a single company to own TV stations serving 45 percent of TV viewers nationwide.

`There's a great deal of consternation about that across the country,` said Rep. David Obey, D-Wisc., a leader in the move to throw out the FCC's media ownership rule changes. `In my view that is a severe threat to democracy.`"

redux [07.16.03]
CBS Marketwatch FCC's media rules dealt another blow

"On Wednesday, a House committee effectively voted to bar the new rules from taking effect. The vote follows a move by a group of senators to utilize an obscure law, called a "resolution of disapproval," also aimed at defeating the rule changes."

The bill still faces opposition from the Republican leadership in the House and a likely veto threat from the White House. Still, the latest maneuverings indicate that the attempt to roll back the new media-ownership regulations is gaining momentum."

redux [06.02.03]
Washington Post FCC Votes to Ease Media Ownership Rules

"The vote has engendered public opposition by lawmakers, consumer and advocacy groups and unaligned citizens who fear that further media consolidation will make it more difficult for those with minority viewpoints to get their message out. On Friday, the FCC's voice- and e-mail systems were temporarily shut down by a deluge of public comments. The agency has received more than 500,000 e-mails and postcards opposing the changes."

The Salt Lake Tribune Ivans: FCC Is the Slave to the Industry It Is Supposed to Regulate

"This is a gross scandal. The Center for Public Integrity has a stunning study out on the concentration of ownership in telecommunications. The even more stunning news is that the Federal Communications Commission, which theoretically represents you and me, is about to make all of it even worse. And behind this betrayal of the public trust is nothing but rotten, old-fashioned corruption. It's the old free-trip-to-Vegas ploy, on a grand scale.

The Public Integrity people examined the travel records of FCC employees and found that they have accepted 2,500 trips, costing nearly $2.8 million over the past eight years, paid for by the telecommunications and broadcast industries, which are, theoretically, "regulated" by the FCC."

Guardian Unlimited Gagged: 12 cities join media protest

"Perhaps unsurprisingly, the protests have been given little media coverage. "We're frozen out," said Karen Pomer, who attended a protest in Los Angeles. "All of this is benefiting conservative voices."

The Washington consumer watchdog, the Centre for Public Integrity, said that the FCC met with broadcasters 71 times in the run-up to the proposed rule changes but with consumer groups, just five."