Media Bureau Bears Down on Licensing

[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
FCC Media Bureau Chief Donna Gregg said Wednesday that one of her bureau's primary focuses in the coming months will be on "streamlining and expediting" the broadcast-licensing process. In a speech, she said "the media itself has the responsibility for the kind of service it provides. I believe the commission has the role of providing assistance, favorable conditions, encouragement and, when necessary, leadership," she said, but added, "Sometimes the best thing we can do is exercise restraint." She also said the public must assume its responsibility as informed consumers, with help from the FCC. she said the FCC has "an important role in equipping consumers with the information and the tools they need to make satisfying [media] choices." Gregg also took the opportunity to defend the media from what she said was increasing bashing in, well, the media. Gregg said she was concerned that the media were a target of "derision and displeasure," citing some historic knocks like former FCC Chairman Newton Minow's "vast wasteland" characterization, and general criticisms like "idiot box" and "chewing gum for the eyeballs," as well as shots from TV reviewers and bloggers. said that the state of the media is "strong," citing the number of "free over-the-air" TV stations (1,749) and radio (13,599), cable viewers (108.6 million), and revenues -- $1.3 billion for all media in 2004, according to a PriceWaterhouseCoopers study, and a projected $1.8 trillion by 2009. She also pointed to the reliability and resilience of the media, demonstrated by its performance during the recent hurricanes, and its popularity--one-third of Americans' time is spent with some form of media, the majority of that with TV (4.3 hours per day, according to Nielsen).
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