Hold off on more TV-station acquisition deals

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[Commentary] Finally, a powerful elected official is doing something about the Federal Communications Commission’s failure to protect the integrity of the public's airwaves. US Sen Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) warned new FCC chairman Tom Wheeler in a letter that his agency should proceed “cautiously” as it considers several pending television station sales. Sen Rockefeller, Senate commerce committee chair, gets it. Too many local stations are being bought up by a handful of companies too quickly. The result is less information from different viewpoints, and a weakened democracy. Without extra scrutiny, the FCC routinely caters to profit-driven corporations instead of communities. Democracy suffers when regulators refuse to uphold their core mission to preserve and promote competition, independent ownership and diverse perspectives on public airwaves.


Hold off on more TV-station acquisition deals