Congress Joins In On Media Ownership Debate

[SOURCE: Technology Daily, AUTHOR: David Hatch]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, a Republican, has pledged to tackle media ownership once the White House fills a final GOP vacancy on the five-member commission, giving Martin a 3-to-2 majority. Robert McDowell, a lobbyist for the CompTel communications association, has been tapped for the seat, with a confirmation hearing scheduled for later this week. But a number of Members of Congress are already weighing in on the matter. In the last couple of weeks, 1) Rep. Rick Boucher (D-VA) urged the FCC to abolish the rule barring common ownership of newspaper and broadcast outlets in the same markets; 2) Mike O'Reilly, an aide to Sen. John Sununu (R-NH) predicted that lawmakers would seek further relaxation of ownership restrictions and 3) Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Telecommunications and the Internet Subcommittee, urged the FCC to eliminate the cross-ownership ban, arguing that the 1975 rule is outdated in today's world of the Internet, satellite television and cable.
http://www.njtelecomupdate.com/lenya/telco/live/tb-TQBK1141761361811.html