Consumer Committee Weighs In On Ownership

CONSUMER COMMITTEE WEIGHS IN ON OWNERSHIP
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The FCC's Consumer Advisory Committee has approved recommendations on how the commission should proceed with its ownership review, which is essentially comprehensively, openly, and with plenty of opportunity for consumer input. The committee made four principal recommendations: 1) adopt rules that promote localism, competition and diversity of voices; 2) schedule and attend hearings across the country (the FCC majority has already committee to at least five); 3) compile a "far more complete" record than in 2003, including more media concentration studies (studies are also on the agenda); 4) and put out a Notice of Proposed Rule Change, with sufficient time for additional comment, on any specific proposed rule changes. The FCC has not committed to putting out changes for comment, though it has set an extended initial comment on what those changes should be. Commission Democrats Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps have also called for those NPRMs. The committee-approved document also poses some key questions it wants the FCC to specifically address as it reviews all its rules. They include how it could reasonably proceed without first concluding a 2004 inquiry on the impact of consolidation of localism. Other key questions include whether concentration increases the chances for payola--a question added since an April draft of the document--as well as its impact on indecency, minority ownership, independent programming. The committee also asks whether broadcasters argument that it needs to be able to own more stations for "economies of scale" holds up in a DTV world where they will be able to broadcast multiple streams from a single station.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6355441.html?display=Breaking...

* See the Committee's recommendation: http://www.benton.org/benton_files/MediaWg-Onershipaspassed.doc

* See a summary of the Committee's July 21 meeting: http://www.benton.org/index.php?q=node/2995