FCC Head Wants To Relax Media Ownership Rules

New York Times:

The head of the Federal Communications Commission has circulated an ambitious plan to relax the decades-old media ownership rules, including repealing a rule that forbids a company to own both a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same city.

Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the commission, wants to repeal the rule in the next two months -- a plan that, if successful, would be a big victory for some executives of media conglomerates.

Among them are Samuel Zell, the Chicago investor who is seeking to complete a buyout of the Tribune Company, and Rupert Murdoch, who has lobbied against the rule for years so that he can continue controlling both The New York Post and a Fox television station in New York.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Comments

[gmknobl]

RELAX? Those robber barons don't need less controls, they need more! We need to go back to the rules as they existed before the corrupt man, Richard Nixon got in office and before the dismantling of the "fairness" equal time clause by Reagan.

I want to see it illegal for media conglomerates to own what they do now and force their breakup again into smaller, more regional entities. Yes, this means Disney would not own ESPN and ABC again. And we'll all be better off because of it.

I won't see this maybe until I'm an old man but it needs to be done again. These are bad people in D.C. right now.

[lackeylocal]

Kevin Martin, a Bush appointee, will do as he is told, and his wife worked or still does in the White House for Cheney or another pretty high up. I say "this is a conflict of interest".

[LivingInChina]

!
Here in China the media is "owned" by the state.

What's to say the US can't have a similar arrangement, just private.

Think about it. Fox News every venue, every day, every hour.

Makes you want to puke.
!

[RAMHaiti]

Cut the bureacracy, get rid of the FCC and put Murdoch in charge. Merge all television and newspapers into one and call it Granma Corp..

Castro, the journalistic prophet. Who would have guessed???

[Birdman]

I think we have enough relaxed rules, relax them anymore and Rupert owned TV will be the only thing on.

[baylaw73]

Check out "Orwell Rolls In His Grave."
This proposal is the #1 threat to our American democracy. Worse than any other of the horrible assaults on the America that we lefty-types LOVE. You know, the one where citizens get important information from a media that acts as a check on government power, not its tool.

[Hopalongpoppyseed]

Perhaps you have heard the news that Chris Dodd has declared his intentions to block this horrible proposal.

He said: "I have decided to place a "hold" on the latest FISA bill that would have included amnesty for telecommunications companies that enabled the President's assault on the Constitution by illegally providing personal information on their customers without judicial authorization.

I said that I would do everything I could to stop this bill from passing, and I have."

I thank Senator Dodd for this bold leadership.

[mmckinl]

E-Mail Congress Now ; Stop the FCC !

http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/home/

Easy , just type in your zip !

E Mail each Senator and your House Member

[VOTER]

Thanks. Done. Bookmarked.

[drblack]

Miceal Kopps is the best member of the FCC and should be in its top position.
The FCC is protecting corperate interests not the publics.
This guy, Like Mike Powell is not doing his job and should be removed.

[mmckinl]

E-Mail Congress Now ; Stop the FCC !

http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/home/

Easy , just type in your zip !

E Mail each Senator and your House Member

[mmckinl]

The MSM marches on ...

Look for this to come up next year before the elections with the MSM twisting Democrats' arms and readying scurilous reporting should they resist.

Telecom amnesty , MSM conglomeration ... what's next ?

[Average]

NOT a good idea.

[DMcD]

Since this is happening at the urging of a Bush appointed official , IT CAN'T BE A GOOD THING.

The last time something like this happened , we ended up with Murdoch and Fox (big mistake).

[TheQuestion]

There is also the possibily the GOP is working towards media consolidation in an effort to shore up thier position in the next election.

[mmckinl]

E-Mail Congress Now ; Stop the FCC !

http://www3.capwiz.com/c-span/home/

Easy , just type in your zip !

E Mail each Senator and your House Member

[ronspri]

As a media person, beyond the obvious, I can tell you that this is also a killer for employment. If 2 or 3 companies own all the radio stations in a city your choice of places to work goes down dramatically as compared to if the were owned separately or limited to 2 or 3 stations. Just one personal reason to oppose this. What they are doing to this country is greedy and disgusting. Monopolies are a scourge especially to the public airwaves. We need a Teddy Roosevelt badly right now.

[Kungfublood]

Secret back room deals for millions in payola no doubt and no public notice or comment.It is against the rules of our republic but the Connecticut traitor George Bush and his evil minions want to drag us all down to hell where they live so we should expect them to continue the effluvia of lies on TV and heap up the disrespect for justice ,American law the legal rights of the public.

[JScott]

And this is related to another posting why folks are watching LESS TV!!!
Fine-more media coNsolidation so more DULL TV PROGRAMMING and less people watching!!!!!!