FCC Chairman’s Big Media Giveaway Exposed

FCC CHAIRMAN'S BIG MEDIA GIVEAWAY EXPOSED
[SOURCE: Free Press, AUTHOR: Derek Turner, Marvin Ammori, Joseph Torres, Craig Aaron]
Free Press released Devil in the Details, a report exposing 10 key facts that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is hiding from the public about his recent proposal to lift the longstanding ban on “newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership.”

• FACT #1: Martin’s “modest” proposal is corporate welfare for Big Media. Martin’s plan would unleash a buying spree in the top 20 markets, making it easier for companies like Belo, News Corp. and Tribune Co. to push out independent, local owners.
• FACT #2: Loopholes open the door to cross-ownership in any market. Under Martin’s loose standards, cross-ownership waivers could be approved in hundreds of smaller cities and towns.
• FACT #3: Loopholes allow newspapers to own TV stations of any size. The same technicalities could permit top-rated stations in any market to combine with major newspapers.
• FACT #4: FCC history shows weak standards won’t protect the public. The current rules forbid cross-ownership, but the FCC hasn’t denied any temporary waiver request in years.
• FACT #5: Cross-ownership doesn’t create more local news. The latest studies — using the FCC’s own data — show that markets with cross-ownership produce less total local news, as one dominant company crowds out the competition.
• FACT #6: Cross-ownership won’t solve newspapers’ financial woes. Claims that the newspaper industry is about to “wither and die” are greatly exaggerated, and no evidence shows that cross-ownership would make things better.
• FACT # 7: The Internet is an opportunity, not a death sentence. Mergers and consolidation are not the answer to the financial problems of the traditional media.
• FACT #8: Martin’s plan would harm minority media owners. Nearly half of the nation’s minority-owned TV stations are lower-rated outlets in the top 20 markets, making them a target for Big Media takeovers.
• FACT # 9: A broken and corrupt process creates bad policies. The FCC’s lack of transparency, flawed research and secret timetable have tossed aside basic fairness and accountability in the rush to change media ownership rules.
• FACT # 10: The public doesn’t want more media consolidation. Martin’s actions ignore the millions of Americans — and 99 percent of the comments in the FCC docket — who oppose letting a few media giants swallow up more local media.

http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=303

* Devil in the Details
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/files/devil_in_the_details.pdf

* Public Interest Groups Call for Media Diversity and Localism in FCC Meeting
A coalition of organizations called on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) at its November 27th meeting to make consistent policies promoting media diversity and localism across broadcast and cable rules. The Coalition praised the Commission's efforts to clear the way for limits on cable ownership and the promotion of diverse and local content. However, the Coalition warned that the community radio rules on the agenda must promote, not limit, the expansion of the very low-power radio service they purport to promote. Further, the Coalition also called the localism and minority ownership proposals to be considered by the FCC grossly inadequate.
http://saveaccess.org/node/1882