Critics Turn Out To Protest Media Consolidation

FCC LOCALISM HEARING

CRITICS TURN OUT TO PROTEST MEDIA CONSOLIDATION
[SOURCE: Washington Post, AUTHOR: Frank Ahrens]
Even though the media landscape has changed radically since the last time the Federal Communications Commission tried to alter its media-ownership rules, a hearing at the FCC yesterday showed that the debate remains as heated as ever. A range of social, political and consumer groups that successfully petitioned a federal court to throw out the FCC's 2003 attempt to relax ownership rules is once again fighting to keep limits on how many radio and television stations conglomerates can buy. The groups testified as the five-member commission works to update its ownership rules to the court's satisfaction, a task it hopes to accomplish soon. The FCC began its review of the ownership rules 18 months ago, but protesters were energized to appear at yesterday's hearing by recent statements by FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin, who has said he wishes to speed the matter to a conclusion soon. The issue spurred some street theater outside the FCC building, where a group of about 100 gathered. A squad of activists dressed as cheerleaders donned sweaters reading "FCC" and cheered, "Two, four, six, eight, who do we consolidate?" The group listened to anti-consolidation remarks from Jesse Jackson as well as two FCC commissioners who have worked within the agency to limit media conglomerate growth.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR200710...
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* Media vote may be delayed
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's plan to consider major changes to media ownership rules by year's end could be derailed by growing calls for the agency to first complete a long-running study of how broadcasters serve their local communities. Most people who spoke at the hearing, including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, urged the FCC to go slowly, echoing recent concerns by some lawmakers after learning of Martin's proposal to try to vote on media ownership changes Dec. 18.
http://www.latimes.com/business/printedition/la-fi-fcc1nov01,1,2514814.s...

* FCC Gets Earful on Media Ownership
According to the Parents Television Council, media consolidation has led to the "destruction of the concept of community standards." Andrew J. Schwartzman of Media Access Project said most TV stations aren't operated in the public interest, and radio has abandoned public service altogether. A familiar radio voice, former National Public Radio host and American Federation of Television & Radio Artists officer Bob Edwards, told the FCC not to "fast-track" its consideration of the effects of consolidation. But Marcellus Alexander of the National Association of Broadcasters said localism was in broadcasters’ financial interest because broadcasters had to compete for local eyeballs that can and will go elsewhere.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6495976.html?rssid=193

* Jackson Slams XM-Sirius Merger
Rev Jesse Jackson echoed his long-standing complaints about the lack of minority ownership and his belief that it is a civil-rights issue, with consolidated media controlling the social agenda by deciding what is important to report on. Rev Jackson said the media regulation process was broken and corrupt, and it was time to democratize the way the FCC does business. It is not enough to let people speak at hearings, he added -- the commission must listen and act, but not rush toward more consolidation.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6495989.html?rssid=193

* Tricks, no treats at FCC hearing
The FCC got an earful and an eyeful during the commission's hearing on broadcast localism Wednesday when protesters dressed as cheerleaders and a self-styled "corporate media whore" brought Halloween satire to the staid agency.
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib...

* No Treats for FCC Chair and Media Monopolists (John Nichols/The Nation)
[Commentary] FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is organizing hearings with an eye toward serving media owners -- and delivering on their demands -- rather than with an interest in meeting the need of the citizens the FCC is supposed to serve.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20071031/cm_thenation/1247519

STATEMENTS BY COMMISSIONERS

* Martin Statement: "I believe the Commission needs to make a number of policy and rule changes to ensure that all broadcasters better serve their local communities."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277762A1.doc

* FCC’s Martin Outlines Localism Initiatives
Federal Communications Commission chairman Kevin Martin said he proposed that local TV stations be able to pre-empt network programming any time they want to air programming vital to their local communities, and that radio stations have a person on the premises during all hours of operation. That was among a raft of proposals he said he made to the other commissioners to address the issues of the effects of consolidation on broadcast localism. Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein asked Media Bureau chief Monica Desai how many witnesses at the FCC's public hearings had said consolidation was good for localism. She could not say, but Martin conceded that it was only a handful, and he could remember only one, in San Antonio, and only that one because of the boos from the audience. Chairman Martin and Commissioner Adelstein had a bit of a dust-up during the hearing. Adelstein said he had not been allowed to talk with a staffer who had been dealing with minority issues. Martin countered that he was free to talk with Desai, who was his point person on the issue, while Adelstein had wanted to talk to the person who had overseen those issues under his predecessor, which Martin said would not have given Adelstein a sense of where the Martin commission was.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6495948.html?rssid=193

* Copps Statement: "You are going to hear a lot of nice words about localism today. About how localism is one of the core values of broadcast regulation. About how from the earliest days of broadcasting, we've required licensees to serve the needs and interests of their local communities. About how localism is good for viewers, good for business, and good for the future of our democracy. And it's all true. But my greatest fear is that all those nice words will float into the ether and we'll walk away and congratulate ourselves that we've struck a blow for localism. Meanwhile, consolidation continues to choke the lifeblood out of localism, with its outsourced news, homogenized play lists and distant ownership. Meanwhile, consolidation denigrates diversity, denies minorities and women, and diminishes our already-distorted democratic dialogue. It seems to get worse with almost each passing week. I, for one, can wait no longer. If we truly believe in localism - if it's not just lip service - the time has come to do something about it."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277753A1.doc

* Adelstein Statement: "The lack of adequate advance public notice of today's hearing raises real concerns about how serious we are about getting public input. Despite unanimous approval weeks ago to hold this hearing today, it was not announced to the public until the latest possible moment allowed by law - late, under the dark of night, just five business days ago. This is not the way a government agency should conduct the people's business."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277769A1.doc

* Tate Statement: "It is the local news outlets that know our communities best. They provide the types of information on which local citizens rely-local weather and traffic, high school football scores, community events, school programs, local political races, the list could go on and on. They are also the first-responders in times of crisis. Whether crime, weather disasters, or public health emergencies, local news outlets are often the first to communicate critical information to the public."
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277754A1.doc

* McDowell Statement: "Are broadcasters providing this community with the local information and support it needs? Are broadcast stations still your primary source for local news and information? Is the Internet, with blogs and other alternative sources of content, really competing with traditional broadcasting for local coverage? Armed with this information - which only you can provide - we at the FCC can analyze today's media marketplace and determine if and how our rules should change."
http://fjallfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277761A1.doc

LINKS TO TESTIMONY

* MAP President Testifies Before FCC Localism Hearing (Andrew Jay Schwartzman)
"Effective local service requires institutional and personal attachments to the community. It requires a diverse workforce that is capable of conveying the many different perspectives found in each community. There is no way to document the qualitative impact of having a station operated locally by individuals citizens who live in the community and expect to remain there."
http://www.mediaaccess.org/press/10-31-2007-AJSTestimony.pdf

* Testimony at FCC Hearing Blasts Flawed FCC Research (Free Press)
The panelists were united in their opposition to Martin’s proposed changes, which would remove longstanding limits on media ownership. And they warned that the agency’s accelerated timetable was ignoring popular input and the available evidence. “Until the Commission provides a detailed analysis of the impact of ownership limits on localism, it should not issue a final rule,” said Mark Cooper, director of research at the Consumer Federation of America. “Simply rolling it all into one humungous order will do a disservice to the good, hard work that went into the localism initiative and put us back at square one.”
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=296

* Bob Edwards Urges ‘Public Interest, not Corporate Profitability’ as FCC Considers Media Ownership Rules
Citing examples of how the 1996 deregulation of radio ownership harmed local interests, radio host Bob Edwards told the Federal Communications Commission that if they “further deregulate media in this country, networks, broadcast stations, and newspapers will continue to consolidate, resulting in fewer voices heard by citizens.”
http://www.aftra.org/press/pr_2007_10_31_edwards_fcc.html

* Wade Henderson Testimony before the FCC Hearing on Localism
"The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights believes in the free market of ideas. We also believe that the health of our nation's democracy depends on the continued existence of a diversity of viewpoints in the public domain. But today, instead of local ownership with a diversity of views, we now have homogenized, cookie-cutter media divorced from local concerns."
http://www.civilrights.org/library/advocacy-letters/testimony/wade-hende...

REACTION

* UCC opposes move by FCC to consolidate media, lack of public input
In addition to the poor data, the FCC's process for including the general public was designed to minimize, not maximize, participation by ordinary Americans. "The members of the UCC and other faith communities should not have to call their lives to a halt on a moment's notice to participate in civic discourse." said Cheryl Leanza, managing director of UCC's Office of Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.)
http://www.ucc.org/news/ucc-opposes-move-by-fcc-to.html