FCC likely to keep media rules strict

Newspaper publishers and other struggling media companies want the US government to help them survive the toughest times they have ever known, mainly by easing rules on how big they can get.They will be lucky if they get any aid at all. The Federal Communications Commission held meetings this week with policy experts and consumer groups to see if it should change rules that define how many people newspapers, television and radio stations can reach and that limit their size to protect free speech and allow for healthy competition. But other more pressing concerns on Capitol Hill and in the Obama administration, and the threat of lawsuits to thwart any changes to the rules, are muffling enthusiasm. "Nobody cares," said Jonathan Knee, a media banker at investment firm Evercore Partners. "Nobody is willing to spend political capital over it."