FCC Portland Localism Hearing Recap

FCC HEARING DRAWS CRITICISM OF LOCAL NEWS PROGRAMMING
[SOURCE: Bangor Daily News 6/29, AUTHOR: Anne Ravana]
The quality and quantity of local news reporting, as presented by Maine’s newspapers, television and radio stations, was the topic of a seven-hour public discussion Thursday night in Portland, where the Federal Communications Commission held its fifth of six nationwide public hearings. Virtually everyone agreed that local programming is essential. Some said media outlets owned by large conglomerates are not providing enough coverage of local people and events, while those outlets defended themselves, emphasizing the donations and free air time they give to charitable organizations. Hundreds of people from all over New England streamed in and out of Portland High School to listen to 23 panelists and 140 members of the public take the microphone in a rare opportunity to testify before the FCC, an FCC spokeswoman said. The hearing was broadcast live on the FCC Web site. Four of the five presidentially-appointed FCC commissioners were present. The panelists, each given five minutes to speak, were broadcasters, station managers, newspaper publishers, professors and union organizers from around New England. Their discussion focused on Maine and whether the trend of large media companies purchasing newspapers and stations has negatively or positively influenced coverage of the state’s local issues.
http://bangordailynews.com/news/t/news.aspx?articleid=151546&zoneid=500

* FCC Hearing Provides Differing Views On Media Localism
[SOURCE: WCSH TV Portland, AUTHOR: Rhonda Erskine]

* Link to video of the hearing.
http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=64754

* Mainers have say on media outlets
[SOURCE: Portland Press Herald 6/29, AUTHOR: Gregory Kesich]
http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story_pf.php?id=117659&ac=PHnws

* Maine airs its views on media changes
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003767415_fcc29.html

Industry, Public Get Vocal About Local
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable 6/28, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
A current broadcaster and ex-broadcaster provided very different views of the state of localism at a Portland, Me., hearing Thursday. Steve Thaxton, president and GM WCSH-TV, and Portland resident Shelby Scott, a former New England anchor/reporter and former president of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, were among the witnesses at an FCC field hearing on localism, part of its ongoing review of media ownership rules. Thaxton told his FCC commissioner audience that the station has a strong commitment to news and public service that has only been enhanced since Gannett bought the station in the late 1990's. He said that when Gannett bought the station in 1998, it was doing 25 hours of local programming and is now doing 37 hours. Ms. Scott, who said media consolidation, and in particular the potential lifting of the newspaper/broadcast crossownership rule, has been a disaster for localism. She warned that with Gannett owning a TV station in the market, allowing it to buy the only paper in town would likely lead to the recycling, repurposing and cross-promoting of content she says has been the case with Tribune and the papers and stations it owns in Chicago and Hartford (under a waiver of the FCC's crossownership ban). She also complained that a local marketing agreement had silenced an important minority radio voice in Boston. "If a retired journalist like me can find these examples just by looking in my backyard here in New England," she said in prepared testimony she did not have time to finish delivering, "then there must be hundreds of more instances across the country."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6456432.html?rssid=193

COMMENTS BY FCC COMMISSIONERS
* Chairman Martin: I am sorry that I could not be with you today, but your participation in this process is very important and all of your comments will be submitted into the record. Establishing and maintaining a system of local broadcasting that is responsive to the unique interests and needs of individual communities is an extremely important policy goal for the Commission. Indeed, along with competition and diversity, localism is one of the three goals underlying the media ownership rules. The Commission is currently engaged in a review of those rules and the testimony heard today along with that from previous localism hearings will inform the Commission's decision-making in the media ownership proceeding. I also know that localism is important to broadcasters who recognize that their own success depends on responding to the needs and interests of their local communities.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-274693A1.doc

* Commissioner Copps: [S]ince the 1980's, fundamental protections of the public interest have weakened and withered.... The good news is that I believe there's a difference between the media ownership proceeding of three years ago and this time around. We can aim higher now: 1) let's go back to an honest-to-goodness licensing system that doesn't grant slam-dunk renewals; 2) Let's also put what stations are doing to meet their public interest obligations up on the Web, so citizens can know how their airwaves are being used; 3) Let's make sure that all that new digital capacity we're giving broadcasters returns something positive for our communities and local talent and civic issues coverage.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-274450A1.doc

* Commissioner Adelstein: While few Americans are familiar with the term "localism," most understand that providing "local" service to a "local" community is the essential purpose of broadcast radio and TV. From its inception, broadcasting in America was always a local medium. Even today, the FCC continues to license valuable public airwaves - for free - to broadcasters, in exchange for service to local communities. Localism is, therefore, the central obligation of every broadcast licensee to air programming that is relevant and responsive to the local community's interests, tastes and needs. So we are here to learn your answer to a basic question: are broadcasters providing you with the local service you deserve?
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-274696A1.doc

* Commissioner Tate: The issues that we plan to explore with you are very important to me, and to all of us at the FCC. All off us are keenly aware of the pervasive impact that radio and television has on our children, on our daily lives, and on our culture. I have taken a special interest in the effects of television violence and the amount of advertising for unhealthy foods and beverages - - especially during times that children are in the audience. It is my hope that those of you who are broadcasters will not only meet your legal requirements regarding CORE children’s programming, but more importantly that you will also provide more balanced, positive and healthy messages. I challenge you to be an industry leader and help us solve this national epidemic of childhood obesity.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-274703A1.doc

* Commissioner McDowell: We are here to gather information from our distinguished panelists and from the audience on the service that broadcasters provide to this community. Promoting localism is a key goal of the Commission's media ownership rules, along with ensuring competition and diversity. Localism is not just a good idea, it's the law. Eight television stations, owned by seven different companies, are licensed to Portland. Portland's 32 radio stations are owned by twelve different entities and offer varied formats, from classical to rock to news and sports talk. Portland is served by the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram, owned by the Blethen Maine Newspapers - as well as several weekly publications. Blethen owns three other newspapers, all of them in Maine: the Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel and Coastal Journal. It is an affiliate of the Seattle Times Company, a 110-year-old family business with five newspapers in Washington State. For the purposes of FCC rules, there is no cross ownership of media properties in Portland. Blethen does not own any broadcasting stations. The owners of TV stations in Portland do not own any radio stations.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-274697A1.doc