FCC's 'media sharecropping' initiative

FCC'S 'MEDIA SHARECROPPING' INITIATIVE
[SOURCE: San Francisco Chronicle, AUTHOR: Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.]
[Commentary] Whether or not one agrees with the usefulness of "must-carry" rules in the modern era, nearly everyone agrees that these rights should not be extended to the detriment of new television channels. Yet the FCC now wants to give each local broadcaster as many as six channels that cable carriers will be required to carry, potentially locking many minority cable programmers out of the game. To be sure, the FCC knows that it has an awaiting public relations disaster on its hands with this kind of proposal. Cleverly, FCC spokesmen have come up with a public relations effort intended to allay fears by offering up what is now widely seen as a "consolation prize." This so-called consolation prize - which was dropped from the last FCC meeting due to overwhelming opposition from the civil rights community, but will likely reappear at the upcoming meeting - is the right of minority programmers and others to be categorized as a "qualified" entity that can lease a portion of these multicast must-carry channels from the large, mostly non-minority broadcasters. One leading FCC commissioner derided the idea as a kind of media "sharecropping." The reality is that most programmers want the opportunity for ownership and not the "crumbs from the table" subordinate opportunity of renting space from well-heeled incumbent broadcasters. While innovative, new networks would die in this stifling environment, it is channels like home shopping networks and infomercials that would benefit most from this kind of squatters approach. At a time of such uncertainty in the communications landscape, the FCC must focus on meaningful policies to promote real minority ownership opportunities in broadcasting. One place to start would be to listen to those on the front lines.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/12/18/EDDDU02B4...