FCC Chief Martin defends media ownership plan
FCC CHIEF DENIES OWNERSHIP RULE LOOPHOLE
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: John Dunbar]
Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin denied that his proposed media ownership rule has a major loophole that would allow newspapers and broadcast stations to merge in any size market. At a House Telecommunications Subcommittee hearing, Subcommittee Chairman Ed Markey (D-MA) asked Martin whether companies that want cross-owned properties in smaller markets would face "a high hurdle" or a "speed bump" during the approval process. He also asked whether Martin would be willing to work with the Democrats to change the wording. Chairman Martin said he is willing to work with the two Democrats on the commission to change the wording of his proposal to make sure that any transaction resulting in cross-owned properties would face a "high hurdle" in the approval process. The commission is scheduled to vote on the cross-ownership rule Dec. 18. Democrats on the Commission and on the House panel have accused Martin of not allowing enough time for public review of his proposal.
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/Other_US_Govermnent/...
* FCC chief Martin defends media ownership plan
http://www.reuters.com/article/governmentFilingsNews/idUSN0542108120071205
* Martin Returns Fire at Hill Hearing
Asked whether it was inconsistent to maintain the 30% cap on cable-subscriber ownership, as an FCC majority supports, while allowing telephone companies to merge and seeking to loosen broadcast-newspaper cross-ownership rules, Martin said no, that he was proposing maintaining the current caps on local and national radio and TV ownership, as well, confining deregulation to the cross-ownership ban that a court has already agreed the FCC has justified modifying.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6509945.html?rssid=193
* FCC's Martin Grilled by Congressmen
http://www.tvweek.com/news/2007/12/fccs_martin_grilled_by_congres.php
* Martin Not Directly Asked to Hold Off Vote
No member of the House Telecommunications & Internet Subcommittee asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin directly if he would be willing to delay a Dec. 18 vote on relaxing the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rules, although Reps Dingell and Markey made it clear they think a delay would be a good idea.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6509788.html?rssid=193
* FCC Media-Ownership Fight Heats Up
Media companies and consumer groups don't agree on many things, but distaste for Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin's effort to rewrite the nation's media-ownership rules appears to be one of them.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119688263260014739.html?mod=todays_us_pa...
* Chairman Markey: "The process by which this proposal is considered and voted upon should reflect the importance of the subjects it addresses. Its consideration should also be informed by the public hearings conducted around the country. Postponing the planned vote from December 18th would remove clouds of procedural objections that currently obscure the specifics of the proposal and hamper efforts to directly discuss them. The Chairman’s plan would benefit from more time so that the public and the Congress can seek clarification over several provisions that remain ambiguous or vague with respect to their intent or operational effect."
http://markey.house.gov/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3212&I...
* Markey: FCC plan is murky
Rep. Ed Markey (D-Malden) yesterday expressed frustration with what he called Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin’s rushed and ambiguous plan to change rules that ban firms from owning newspapers and broadcast TV or radio stations in the same market.
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/general/view.bg?articleid=1049090
* Chairman Dingell: "In recent months, we have heard about many FCC agenda meetings postponed all day while closed-door negotiations on important public matters are conducted. We have witnessed too much sniping among the five Commissioners, and we have heard too many tales of a short-circuited decision-making process. In sum, the FCC appears to be broken. The victim in this breakdown at the agency is a fair, open, and transparent regulatory process. The real loser, of course, is the public interest and the American consumer. When the process breaks down, reasoned analysis and debate suffer, and public confidence in the agency is shaken. This Committee is responsible for overseeing the Commission, and we cannot let this situation continue."
http://energycommerce.house.gov/Press_110/110st113.shtml
* Dingell: ‘The FCC Appears to Be Broken’
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6509853.html?rssid=193
-- TESTIMONY --
* Chairman Martin: "I have circulated a Localism Report and NPRM that addresses other actions the Commission can take to ensure that broadcasters are serving the interests and needs of their local communities. The rule changes that I propose are intended to promote localism by providing viewers and listeners greater access to locally responsive programming including, but not limited to, local news and other civic affairs programming. Among other actions, the item tentatively concludes that: 1) Qualified LPTV stations should be granted Class A status, which requires them to provide 3 hours of locally-produced programming; 2) licensees should establish permanent advisory boards in each community (including representatives of underserved community segments) with which to consult periodically on community needs and issues; and 3) the Commission should adopt processing guidelines that will ensure that all broadcasters provide a significant amount of locally-oriented programming."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278714A1.pdf
* Commissioner Copps: "The four factors proposed by the Chairman are about as tough as a bowl of Jell-O. You don't even have to meet them all-it's just a list of things the FCC will "consider." Given how the FCC has "considered" media regulation in recent years, I have about as much confidence that a proposed combination will be turned down as I do that the next Commission meeting will start on time."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278711A1.doc
* Commissioner Adelstein: "As the date of a rumored Seattle hearing approached and no announcement was made, Congressman Inslee and Senator Maria Cantwell wrote to ask that the public be afforded one month notice so they could plan for the event. Within hours, their letter was ignored and the public hearing was announced with just five business days notice, the very minimum allowed by federal law.... The next day back at the office, the American people received an answer. The Chairman announced plans in a New York Times op-ed and a press release on how he sought to relax the newspaper-broadcast cross ownership rule. That was not only the first time the public learned of the plan. It was also the first time the Commissioners were notified of the details. It is hard to imagine how it was possible to review and consider hundreds of public comments made in Seattle alone before issuing the proposal the next working day. What could have been a meaningful opportunity for public input and cooperation with Congress turned into a charade."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278715A1.doc
* Commissioner Tate: "Over my 20-plus years of public service - at all levels of government - I cannot remember a single time that an agency expended this much institutional energy and investment on an issue, or was this open and thorough regarding a matter of public interest."
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278710A1.doc
* Commissioner McDowell: "Is the cross-ownership ban still in the public interest, or is it a millstone around the neck of a drowning industry? The statute demands an answer. Has this new era of competition been helpful or harmful to localism and diversity? Audiences seeking news, local information and entertainment are more fragmented than ever before. But combinations allowed by the 1996 Act have occurred. What these changes mean for localism and diversity is a question we are still examining.
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-278712A1.doc
* Media Access Project: "Independent agencies such as the FCC exercise authority delegated by Congress. When agencies demonstrate that they are unable or unwilling to carry out their legislative mandate, Congress must act affirmatively to rein them in. That time has come. Congress should enact legislation to terminate the FCC’s authority to modify its ownership rules and to provide the transparency that the American public is entitled to receive at one of the most important agencies in the federal government."
http://www.mediaaccess.org/filings/2007-12-05-SchwartzmanTestimony.pdf
* NAA 's Sturm Tells House Panel FCC Cross-Ownership Proposal Offers Little Help For Newspapers
[SOURCE: Editor&Publisher, AUTHOR: Mark Fitzgerald]
Kevin Martin's proposal to ease newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership restrictions for the nation's biggest dailies is not sufficient or just, Newspaper Association of America (NAA) President and CEO John F. Sturm said.
http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_con...