FCC Chairman Martin: Repeal of Cross-Ownership Ban Overdue

FCC CHAIRMAN MARTIN: REPEAL OF CROSS-OWNERSHIP BAN OVERDUE
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mark Fitzgerald]
FCC Chairman Kevin Martin told publishers at the Newspaper Association of America's (NAA) annual meeting that he’s committed to overturning the ban on same-market cross-ownership, but that newspapers need to do a better job of selling repeal. After excoriating the commission for failing since 1996 to back up its repeal rhetoric with action, he said newspapers must “educate the public about the changing media landscape,” and the benefits of ending the 31-year-old ban on same-market ownership of newspaper and broadcast stations. “The failure to implement these rule changes is not our fault alone,” Martin said at the meeting in the McCormick Place convention center. “The public is not convinced of the need to change these rules, and if you can't convince the public, our chances to do that are dim.” He noted pointedly that while other media has exploded in the past quarter-century, there are now some 300 fewer daily newspapers. The cross-ownership ban has “adversely impacted” the quantity and quality of local news reports, Chairman Martin said. He argued the continued ban was unfair in light of the relaxed ownership rules allowing TV station owners to operate television duopolies and to own as many as six radio stations. ”Newspapers are the only medium specifically prohibited from owning a single broadcast station in its own market,” he added. Martin said he hoped to begin work on the repeal this summer, but that no decision had yet been made on whether it would be part of a wider rules change.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...

* Help needed to end ban on cross-media ownership: FCC
http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=politicsNews&storyID...

* FCC head seeks push on cross-ownership ban
http://www.fortwayne.com/mld/newssentinel/business/14261577.htm

* Extra! Extra!: Martin Presses Print/TV Dereg
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6321836?display=Breaking+News

* Martin Stumps to Lift Newspaper Rule
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6321990.html?display=Breaking+News

* NAHJ Calls for Minority Broadcast Ownership Study
[SOURCE: National Association of Hispanic Journalists, AUTHOR: Veronica Villafañe]
In a letter to Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, NAHJ calls for a study to examine the current state of minority broadcast ownership to provide the public with current, updated information.
http://www.nahj.org/nahjnews/articles/2006/april/gutierrezletter.shtml

* Full text of Chairman Martin's speech
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-264774A1.doc