FCC Media Ownership Workshp (Public Interest Groups)

To hear some of the public interest groups tell it, the near-economic collapse and ensuing financial fallout, with millions of jobs lost and many broadcast and print outlets operating on life support, is merely a cyclical downturn.

Former Federal Communications Commission Media Bureau Chief Ken Ferree is now telling the FCC that it needs to do more than just relax broadcast ownership rules.

Cheryl Leanza, Policy Director, The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc., used a Federal Communications Commission media ownership workshop to set her sights on the increasing use of shared services agreements (SSAs) in local television markets.

Minority radio ownership has remained virtually flat over the past two years.

Media Access Project President Andrew Schwartzman urged the Federal Communications Commission to consider a study of the impact on ownership diversity of relaxing regulations as part of its review of media ownership rules.

Public interest groups say that the broadcasting industry isn't in such bad shape and the FCC should not loosen its media ownership ownership rules as a way to "prop up" the industry.

Speaking at the Federal Communications Commission second workshop to kick off the 2010 Quadrennial Review of Media Ownership Rules, Commissioner Michael Copps said, "There are many important issues pending before the FCC. In long-term importance, none exceeds-and I don't think any matches-the future of our media environment. If we can't fix what's broken, if we can't rejuvenate broadcast journalism, reopen shuttered newsrooms, put the brakes on mind-numbing monoprogramming, stop the dumbing-down of our civic dialogue and take advantage of the great potential of local broadcasting, then maybe those who want that spectrum back have the better of the argument."

To assist in structuring the Federal Communications Commission's 2010 quadrennial media ownership review process, the FCC's Media Bureau will hold workshops on November 2, 3, and 4 to discuss the scope and methodology of the proceeding and the analytical framework the Commission should use for conducting its review.