FCC Moves to End TV-Newspaper Ownership Ban

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...nov-16-vote-on-lifting-media-ownership-limits

The Vote will be set on November 16th. over the proposed deal and its goes back to the Sinclair/Tribune Deal.

The irony here is that the ban was created by a Republican FCC in 1975 under President Ford. Some saw it as their way of hurting the Washington Post. As a result of this rule, the Post was forced to sell its profitable radio and TV stations. The New York Times obtained a waiver that allowed it to retain WQXR. Same with the Chicago Tribune and WGN and a few others. But the ban makes no sense in today's media environment to prevent newspapers from owning broadcast, while allowing cable companies like Comcast to own TV stations and networks. Or AT&T from owning Time-Warner.

Sounds like this proposal will open the floodgates for radio and TV companies to merge with newspaper companies.

frankberry said:

I understand the reason for the ban but in today's world, many newspapers are failing.
Cross-ownership may keep the papers afloat if they can share resources with co-owned radio and television operations.

Click to expand...

The companies that obtained waivers, like News Corp, Cox, Belo, Tribune, and several others, have done a great job and have become the best owners in the business. They've made it obvious that the cross-ownership rule was a bad idea.