FCC to Begin Review of Media Ownership Rules

The Federal Communications Commission's Media Bureau will hold a series of workshops to jumpstart the Commission's quadrennial review of its media ownership rules. The purpose of the workshops initially will be to receive public input on the appropriate scope and methodology of the proceeding and later to help build an analytical and empirical foundation for a Commission decision. The forums will cover a wide variety of topics that the Commission expects to consider in its review, including the state of the current media marketplace and the role of the media ownership rules in that marketplace. The Commission will seek viewpoints and information from a broad range of experts; consumers; public interest and trade associations; labor unions; media industry representatives, both traditional and new; and other interested persons. The Bureau will hold its first workshop in the series in early November 2009. This initial forum will provide an opportunity for academics, industry stakeholders, and the public interest community to present their views on the framework the Commission should use for conducting its ownership review. Their insights will help determine the questions the Commission should address and how best to gather the data needed to answer those questions.