FCC Publishes Final Orders on Newspaper-Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rules

FCC PUBLISHES FINAL ORDERS ON NEWSPAPER-BROADCAST CROSS-OWNERSHIP RULES
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
The Federal Communications Commission published the final orders on its new rules on the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules. This means that as soon as the rules are published in the Federal Register -- likely within the next couple of weeks -- anti-consolidation activists will challenge them either at the FCC or in court, and perhaps in Congress, as well. An FCC spokeswoman had not responded at press time as to how or whether the FCC was informing the Third Circuit Court of Appeals of the order's release. The change to the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules came, in part, as a response to that court's remand of the more deregulatory 2003 rule rewrite.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6528516.html

* FCC order
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-07-216A1.doc

* Copps, Adelstein Comment on Media Ownership Rules
[SOURCE: Federal Communications Commission]
Joint statement: "After being told we have to "hurry up" and vote by December 18, the Commission waited over a month and a half before finally issuing this Order. Apparently, it took the majority that long to finalize issues left unresolved at the time we voted. There is no reason we could not have heeded the wishes of many in Congress to take the time needed to work these kinks out before the Commission voted. From the day Chairman Martin's newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership proposal was announced last November, we pointed out that it was so vague and chock-full of loopholes that it would permit any broadcast station to merge with any newspaper in virtually any market in the country. The Order being released today does little to close those loopholes-indeed, it creates two new ones."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-280001A1.doc

* Free Press Opposes Cross-Ownership Order
"Despite Chairman Kevin Martin’s claims, his new rules are anything but ‘modest.’ The special waivers in today’s order granted to companies like Media General and Gannett illustrate that the FCC is not serious about enforcing its own rules. Every local market in this country is now fair game in this new era of unfettered media consolidation. Given that it took the agency over a month to finally release the order, the Commission’s hasty rush to judgment on December 18th is baffling. Chairman Martin owes an explanation to the members of Congress and groups — liberal and conservative — that urged the FCC to give this critical decision more time. We look to Congress and the courts to overturn these disastrous new rules.
http://www.freepress.net/press/release.php?id=333