Media Merger Mania and the Obama FCC

[Commentary] On June 13, the Gannett media corporation announced a plan to buy the Belo media corporation. The New York Times screamed the amount of the planned purchase - - $1.5 billion in cash. Of course big numbers get attention. Further down in the story you might read that Gannett will increase the number of its television stations from 23 to 43. The fact that this follows a recent wave of media consolidation during the Obama years, does not get attention beyond the trade press. But it should.

As the Senate prepares for hearings this week to question Tom Wheeler, the President’s choice to lead the FCC, it should ask him where he stands on media consolidation. What impact will this consolidation frenzy have on whether the critical information needs of local communities are being met? What impact will another dozen stations in the hands of Sinclair or Gannett have on ownership opportunities for women and minorities? The FCC does not know the answer to these questions. But it recently released a research design that would help it find the answers. But in the age of government cutbacks, will the White House and Congress dare to fund this research? Will they dare to find an answer that might disappoint potential wealthy contributors to the next campaign?