Subcommittee to Explore Media Ownership in the 21st Century

The Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, chaired by Rep Greg Walden (R-OR), has scheduled a hearing for June 11, 2014. The hearing is entitled “Media Ownership in the 21st Century.”

Witnesses to be announced.

Members will examine the media ownership landscape as it continues to evolve in the digital age. The subcommittee is expected to discuss the Federal Communications Commission’s inaction on the statutorily required 2010 quadrennial review of the media ownership rules as well as the continued relevance of the media ownership regulatory framework in general. Further, members will explore the commission’s decision to forge ahead with new rules on joint sales agreements (JSAs) and other media ownership changes without the completed quadrennial review.

“As the communications and technology sectors continue to innovate, it is imperative that our laws that govern media ownership evolve,” said Rep Walden. “I look forward to a spirited discussion of the media ownership landscape and expect it to inform the work we do on our update of the Communications Act.”