Commissioner Wants More Deregulation

[TheBigA]

Back in 1991, the Contract With America called for media deregulation. That wish was granted with the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

Ten years ago, FCC Chairman Michael Powell sought to revisit the FCC's ownership rules, as required by Congress in the Act, and was slapped down.

There have been no real changes to the media ownership rules since.

So now, one of two Republican Commissioners, Mike O'Rielly, has presented a very detailed argument for further loosening of ownership rules, elimination of the rule prohibiting co-ownership of newspapers and broadcasting, and allowing more foreign investment in broadcasting. That's just the beginning.

Read his speech to The Media Institute:

http://www.fcc.gov/document/commissioner-orielly-remarks-media-institute

 

[Small Market Guy]

Considering the lack of influence newspapers have these days, I have no problem with getting rid of that rule.

Loosening ownership rules didn't lead to the problems we have now, despite the cries of those who got left behind by technology. If anything, it saved thousands of stations that would be dark today. Radio isn't a jobs program.

 

[TheBigA]

Considering the lack of influence newspapers have these days, I have no problem with getting rid of that rule.

That's what the Commissioner said. But that's not the potential problem. Some fear Clear Channel taking over The New York Times or Chicago Tribune.

Or Fox News doing to newspapers what it's done to TV.

 

[Small Market Guy]

That's what the Commissioner said. But that's not the potential problem. Some fear Clear Channel taking over The New York Times or Chicago Tribune.

Or Fox News doing to newspapers what it's done to TV.

Oh, good lord. Not the Fox News boogeyman again. Newspapers have been worse than what you think Fox News is for decades. And before they spent a few years pretending to be unbiased they were openly biased for CENTURIES.

Fox News is already OWNED by a newspaper company. So enough with the fear mongering.

 

[TheBigA]

Fox News is already OWNED by a newspaper company. So enough with the fear mongering.

I'm aware of that, although technically they separated the two a long time ago. I'm just presenting the argument the FCC gets every time this issue comes up. There's a reason why the FCC hasn't addressed this for over ten years.

The issue isn't the approach Fox uses, but rather the concentration of several forms of media by the same company. Bringing together so many platforms in one company creates the potential for monopolistic problems to occur. Replace Fox with Disney or Comcast, and you have the same problem.