View of Media Ownership Limits Changes

VIEW OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP LIMITS CHANGES
[SOURCE: USAToday, AUTHOR: David Lieberman]
When members of the Federal Communications Commission look at TV stations these days, they aren't just kicking back to watch American Idol or Heroes. Regulators are about to reassess their rules on who can own stations and how many -- a review they are legally bound to do every four years. And to rule on the most controversial proposals, they must determine how much damage -- if any -- the Internet and other new media are inflicting on local stations, which collectively had an estimated $26 billion in ad sales last year. If officials conclude that competition from the digital world threatens local TV, they might decide it's OK to ease the rules and let companies own multiple stations in a market, or let a newspaper buy a station in its town. Broadcasters and newspaper companies (including USA TODAY parent Gannett, the largest newspaper publisher and a major owner of TV stations) are lobbying for that. But the case for change becomes weaker if, as many consumer advocates say, stations still generate healthy cash flows and dominate local news. While the issues are important, some can't help but look at this year's debate with skepticism. "The term 'media monopoly' has meaning, it's had meaning for 60 years, but I think the content of the term is changing," former FCC chairman Reed Hundt says. "'Media monopoly' seems now to be about whether you can use the Internet for free or whether there's any limit on what you can send over the Internet," he adds. "The issues of the last 10 years don't have that much resonance anymore."
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/money/20070129/mediaownership.art.htm