Sen Cantwell Calls for Public Vote On Ownership

Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) has asked Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to vote his media ownership order at its next public meeting -- scheduled for Dec. 12 -- though she suggests that would be a blow to diversity of ownership and viewpoints.

Actually, she would prefer the FCC not adopt the draft proposal, which she says would diminish diversity of "local views, viewpoints and opinions." But, in a letter to Chairman Genachowski, Sen Cantwell suggested that was preferable to the commissioners voting on it in private. It was circulated to the other commissioners for a vote and not scheduled on either the November or December agenda. She opined that there were no public meetings or hearings on the proposed rules after the chairman issued its rulemaking proposal in December 2011. That proposal would loosen the newspaper-TV crossownership rules, lift limits on newspaper-radio crossownership and allow radio-TV crossownership, while counting some joint sales agreements toward local ownership caps that are being left in place.

Sen Cantwell was particularly concerned about the FCC's suggestion that lifting the limits on radio-TV and radio-newspaper ownership was ending "outdated prohibitions." Instead, she said, they support diversity, competition and localism. She wants the public meeting so the commissioners will have to publicly defend their decision. "The American public needs to hear directly from you and the other commissioners on this critical matter."