The FCC's Good Deed

[Commentary] Well, knock us over with a feather, the Federal Communications Commission wants the government to keep its distance from the media business. The FCC sketched gloomy prospects for local media outlets but stopped short of pitching the federal bailout many had expected. The report also rejects the idea floated in a Federal Trade Commission staff report that the government subsidize print journalism through a tax on consumer electronics. This is remarkable restraint from this Administration, but all the more so because it fails to join what has become a liberal campaign to create more government-supported media. Common wisdom among academic types has been that the blogosphere can't replace what's being lost at hometown papers, so government should provide seed money for local reporting. As a staff report, the FCC's tome isn't legally binding, though its recommendations may slow down the effort that was building in the previous Congress for media aid and comfort. Liberals understand that government funding for PBS and NPR has created sinecures that largely serve their political ends, and they'd love to do it again on the Web. So good marks to the FCC for resisting the temptation.