Free Press Takes Aim at Lake's Defense of Ownership Change

Free Press policy director Matt Wood took issue with Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau Chief Bill Lake's defense of his chairman's media ownership item.

"[B]ased on what we do know, it is flat-out wrong to suggest that the top four ranking exemption would prevent ownership of a top TV station and a major newspaper in the same market," Wood said. Lake had said that suggestions the item would make it easier to own a top TV station and a major newspaper were off base. "Reports that the order would make it easier to own a top TV station and a major newspaper in a market are wrong," he said. "In fact, the order would strengthen the current rule by creating an express presumption against a waiver of the cross-ownership ban to allow such a combination." Wood said the FCC may be trying to put a damper on News Corp. buying the L.A. Times or Chicago Tribune, but even that "misses the mark," he said, since the Fox stations in L.A. and Chicago often are not in the top four in their markets due to the strength of the Univision stations there. "So, [News Corp. chairman] Rupert Murdoch could still target those flagship newspapers thanks to the rule change this chairman is proposing," he said.

"As for claims that the proposal is stronger than the current rule," said Wood, "what we have currently is a ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership. We believe the Genachowski proposal for the top 20 markets is the same as the Kevin Martin proposal, which was thrown out by the court and rejected by Congress. All that the new proposal strengthens is the likelihood for increased media consolidation."