FCC: No Suppression of Ownership Report

FCC: NO SUPPRESSION OF OWNERSHIP REPORT
[SOURCE: Associated Press, AUTHOR: Jim Abrams]
Federal Communications Commission investigators said Friday they found no evidence senior managers suppressed an agency report on locally owned TV stations because the results conflicted with FCC policy. They did raise questions about reasons for not releasing a report on the radio industry. The FCC’s Inspector General’s office, after conducting what it described as the largest investigation in its history, said that while disputes over quality and timing did lead to the local TV report not being released in 2004, "the evidence clearly indicates that agency management’s like or dislike of the results was not a factor." The yearlong investigation came after a former staff attorney for the FCC’s Media Bureau alleged that senior managers had suppressed the report and ordered that copies be destroyed. Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California, Byron Dorgan of North Dakota and Ron Wyden of Oregon asked the FCC to look into the charges.
http://www.whec.com/article/stories/S217229.shtml?cat=10056

* Report of Investigation into Allegations that Senior Management
Ordered Research Suppresses or Destroyed
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-277152A2.pdf

* FCC Didn't Quash Studies, Says Inspector General
“The Inspector General’s report, unfortunately, air brushes with some pretty soft colors what’s been going on at the FCC with regard to media consolidation," said Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND). "For example, one of the e-mails included in the report clearly reveals a mind set at the FCC against disclosing information that would document the negative impact of media consolidation. I think there’s more to this than the Inspector General was willing to see, even though some of it was in plain sight.” FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was equally unimpressed. "Today's report is most notable for what it fails to contain," he said. "It doesn't include interviews with key FCC staff. It declined to seek interviews with FCC officials all the way up the chain of command. And it doesn't explain why a study that reached striking and exceedingly relevant conclusions wasn't finalized and made a part of the record, even though supervising economists concluded that the technical flaws could be easily fixed. The nagging feeling remains that we don't yet have the entire story."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6487597.html?rssid=193

* FCC Report: Media Studies Not Suppressed
FCC investigators were unable to interview Michigan State University law professor Adam Candeub, the former FCC staff member who claimed the two media studies had been suppressed. “I didn't trust the process,” Candeub said, adding that the report contained errors. “It says I supplied information to senators. That’s not true and it’s not substantiated.”
http://www.multichannel.com/article/CA6487839.html?rssid=196

* FCC Didn't Suppress Media Ownership Reports, Agency Probe Says
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aNjSRBrhEgX4