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Lawmakers tell FCC to preserve local media ownership rules
Ten House Democrats wrote to the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday urging the agency to preserve the rules that ensure competition and diversity among local media outlets.
"As the Commission reviews its existing media ownership limits, we urge you to protect the public interest by promoting rules that encourage competition, localism, and diversity in all local media markets," wrote Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), Anna Eshoo (D-Calif.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.) and others.
The letter cites protections like the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule and the radio-television cross-ownership for ensuring there is competition among local news outlets by preventing one firm from buying its competitors. It also expresses concern about the impact of the Web on local outlets.
"Protecting localism is a critical and longstanding goal of the Federal Communications Commission’s media ownership rules. However, today’s media marketplace reflects a troubling decline in the level of local journalism," the letter states.
"Unfortunately, the Internet, while a critical and innovative platform, has not substantially increased competition in, or diversity of, original, local news reporting."
The Federal Communications Commission often weighs the impact of media mergers on a local level when determining if such deals are in the public interest. The merger between NBC Universal and Comcast came with several conditions attached aimed at increasing the amount of local TV news coverage.
“These outlets are still a very important part of people’s lives in my district and around the country. Traditional media continues to be the primary source of original news reporting, and I believe strong rules are needed today to support the work of local newsroom staffs,” Doyle said.
The Commission is currently working on its quadrennial review of media ownership rules. In 2008 the Republican-led Commission relaxed its rule banning common ownership of a newspaper and broadcast outlet in the same market.
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