Rep. Waters Opposes Tribune’s Request for Permanent Cross-Ownership Waiver

REP MAXINE WATERS OPPOSES TRIBUNE'S REQUEST FOR PERMANENT CROSS-OWNERSHIP WAIVER
[SOURCE: U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters press release]
U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA) filed a petition November 1 asking the Federal Communications Commission to deny the Tribune Company’s request for a waiver of the cross-ownership rule and its request to renew the broadcast license for KTLA-TV (Channel 5). The cross-ownership rule was put in place, in part, to prevent the domination of local media markets by major corporations. In the Los Angeles Designated Media Area (DMA), which is second only to New York City, the Tribune Company owns both KTLA-TV and the Los Angeles Times. By its own calculations, the Tribune Company has the ability to influence the news and information received by 52 percent of the 12.8 million people that officially comprise the Los Angeles DMA. “The Tribune Company is clearly in violation of rules that were established to increase diversity and to prevent the creation of an over-concentrated media market,” said Rep. Waters. “The FCC has an obligation to deny Tribune’s request for a waiver because it would allow the company to continue to operate in violation of the law – and establish a very bad precedent.” In her petition, Rep. Waters points to the fact that The Los Angeles Times’ daily circulation is larger than the next five largest local newspapers combined and that its Sunday circulation eclipses the next 10 largest local papers combined. According to its own website, “The Los Angeles Times is the only newspaper in the West with the resources and commitment to cover important stories wherever they happen. Its network of 23 foreign, 10 national, four state and eight regional bureaus is one of the most formidable news-gathering operations in the world — and the largest in California.”
http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ca35_waters/PR061102_fccpetition.ht...

* Read the petition at http://www.house.gov/apps/list/hearing/ca35_waters/CS061101_fcc.html