Media ownership plan has had lengthy study: FCC official

MEDIA OWNERSHIP PLAN HAS HAD LENGTHY STUDY: FCC OFFICIAL
[SOURCE: Reuters, AUTHOR: Peter Kaplan]
FCC Commissioner Robert McDowell in a speech Monday dismissed criticism that the agency is moving too quickly to loosen media ownership rules: the Commission is "rushing toward a decision in media ownership the way a slug races across a garden," he said. "I can't remember any proceeding where the Commission has solicited as much comment and given the American people as much opportunity to be heard," Commissioner McDowell said. He noted that the Federal Communications Commission's latest proceeding on media ownership rules changes has been going on for 17 months. If previous proceedings are included, he said, the issue has been before the agency for about 11 years overall. "If anyone knows of an FCC proceeding where there has been more opportunity for debate over an 11-year period, please let me know," Commissioner McDowell said.
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=industryNews&storyID...

* The Three Blind Mice
[SOURCE: The Huffington Post, AUTHOR: Marvin Kitman]
[Commentary] Current FCC Chairman Kevin Martin has taken up the fight for cross-ownership now that the fallen happy gladiator [former FCC Chairman Michae] Powell was carried out on his shield. In a speech last week that ranks with William Jennings' Bryan Cross of Gold Speech at the Democratic National Convention of 1896, Chairman Martin sang the glories of cross-ownership. Allowing newspapers to own a TV station or three and radio stations in the same town sounded like the most important contribution to freedom of the press since the invention of movable type by Gutenberg in 1439. Basically, what the new free speech zealot argues is the ban is outmoded in the age of cable, TV and the web. Under his plan, a merger that combines a big daily newspaper with a TV or a radio station would be allowed in any of the nation's 20 largest cities, if at least eight separately owned "major media voices" remain after the deal. Also cross-ownership deals could not involve any of the top four TV stations. It's very complex. Don't be embarrassed if you don't understand it. Neither do I. As always, the FCC goal seems to be to sufficiently confuse the issues so the public won't know about it until it's too late. Not that the public really cares about what happens to the public's airwaves, as long as they have the freedom to get text message on cell phones.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marvin-kitman/the-three-blind-mice_b_73327...

* Feingold: FCC Is 'Rushing' Ownership Proceeding
http://www.radioink.com/HeadlineEntry.asp?hid=140112&pt=todaysnews