FCC May Relax Media Ownership Limits

On the day after the Nov. 3 elections, television newscasts were focused on upset political victories in New Jersey and Virginia. Back in Washington, a different kind of politicking unfolded at the FCC, where television broadcasters argued for unprecedented rollbacks in ownership rules. They did so as part of a "workshop"--the Obama FCC's new format for assembling policy scholars, industry bigwigs and regulators to hash out regulatory issues. The workshops are part of the FCC's quadrennial review to prepare for possible rule changes in 2010. Last week's discussions buoyed the hopes of Susan Patrick, managing partner at media investment shop Patrick Communications. A likely change, she says, is a lifting of rules that restrict common ownership of a daily newspaper and a TV or radio station. "Newspapers are breathing their last breath," says Patrick, co-owner of 15 radio stations in Wyoming. For broadcasters, a bigger change may be in the works: loosening station ownership rules.