Statement of FCC Commissioner Michael O’Rielly on Media Ownership

The joint sales agreement proposal being put forward appears flawed and not in the public interest.

My meetings and the record indicate that the JSA portion could significantly impair the ability of broadcasters with diverse voices to offer local programming, such as news, to meet consumer needs. Moreover, the proposal would establish a very subjective ‘Mother-May-I’ approach to obtain or retain a JSA, which is a recipe for market uncertainty and reduced offerings. Most importantly, this effort fails to meet the Commission’s obligations under current law. […]

Even before receiving the specifics of the proposal, I strenuously disagree with the intended direction, and hope it is dramatically changed before it is presented to the Commission for a vote later this month.

[March 10]