News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMinepropogandacorporatemedia — Viewing Item


Media cross ownership rule { April 29 2003 }

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134685149_powell29.html

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/134685149_powell29.html

Tuesday, April 29, 2003, 12:00 A.M. Pacific

FCC chief says rule barring media cross-ownership likely to be dropped

By Brier Dudley
Seattle Times technology reporter

Against the backdrop of Seattle's brewing newspaper battle, Federal Communications Chairman Michael Powell yesterday defended his plan to allow media companies to own newspapers and television stations in the same city.

Powell said it's likely the FCC will drop the rule when it meets June 2, ending a 28-year ban on media cross-ownership.

"I think a change is likely, but I won't say definitely," he told reporters after speaking at the Newspaper Association of America convention at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers.

Cross-ownership is one of several media rules the FCC is revising in light of the less regulatory approach favored by Powell (the son of Secretary of State Colin Powell), who was named chairman in 2001 by President Bush.

Powell said new technologies and a new regulatory approach will break the "stranglehold" on the marketplace and bring benefits to the people. As examples, he described the proliferation of long-distance providers, wireless phone services and cable television offerings that resulted when the FCC loosened up the telecommunications business.

"The FCC never means to, but there's sort of this unbelievable tendency in history to try to protect and cut things off that seem new and strange and unusual, only to find out later that those were things that are really going to bring value," he said.

But watchdog groups, some lawmakers and even several members of the FCC fear that the cross-ownership change will have the opposite effect and result in further consolidation of the media.

The most outspoken critics say consolidation will harm democracy and the public interest.

Concentration of media ownership would allow owners to exert more influence over the public, reduce local news and diminish the watchdog role, according to a December report by the Consumer Federation of America.

"Every major paper is going to try and buy or be bought by a TV station; certainly the major chains will just go hog wild," said Mark Cooper, research director at Consumer Federation of America in Washington, D.C.

Already ownership of newspapers and TV stations has fallen from about 1,500 to 600 entities since the 1970s. It could fall to as low as 300 owners if Powell's rule change takes effect, according to a December report by the federation.

Seattle could see further media consolidation if the rule passes.

The Seattle Times and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer are haggling over a joint publishing agreement that could lead to the shutdown of one paper. The papers may simultaneously be exploring relationships with local TV stations.

Times Publisher Frank Blethen yesterday reiterated his belief that the P-I's owner, New York-based Hearst Corp., wanted to buy KOMO-TV when it was for sale recently. The Times has not disclosed any plans to acquire a station, but it has formed a small alliance with KING-TV. So far, the paper jointly produces a weather page with the station owned by Dallas-based Belo Corp. Blethen, who has lobbied against the cross-ownership rule change, was a rare critic of Powell at the convention of newspaper publishers.

"It's amazing to hear somebody use so many words to say nothing," Blethen told reporters after Powell's speech. "He's focused on technology and not news and how news serves our democracy, and the loss of the diversity of voices we're seeing through concentration of ownership."

Gregg Jones, publisher of the Greeneville Sun in Tennessee, told Powell the regulations handicapped newspapers by preventing them from buying TV and radio stations. "Had we been in the game, there might have been more local ownership, less radio consolidation, resulting very likely in more local news and information," he said.

Asked if he's concerned that the rule change could hurt competition in two-newspaper cities like Seattle, Powell said the regulations are primarily focused on who can own television stations.

The NAA also hosted Secretary of Commerce Donald Evans, who touted the president's economic stimulus plan as the ticket out of the recession. He also said plans to repeal the so-called death tax, which taxes the estate when a person dies, were off the table for now.

Evans paid special attention to the cornerstone of the stimulus plan, the proposed tax cut, saying that Bush will pursue at least a $550 billion reduction, down from the $726 billion he originally pushed. Brushing off critics' claims that the cut amounts to a tax break for the rich, he said it will most benefit people looking for jobs. "There are three reasons to pass the president's economic plan: the first one is jobs, the second one is jobs, and the third one is jobs," he said.

Seattle Times business reporter Lisa Heyamoto contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2003 The Seattle Times Company

Permission to reprint or copy this article/photo must be obtained from The Seattle Times. Call 206-464-3113 or e-mail resale@seattletimes.com with your request.



britney
cnn-early-oribuary
fcc-consolidation
howard-stern
limbaugh
murdoch
superbowl-janet-breast
60 minutes blind sided by clark book viacom ties { April 11 2004 }
American idol delay deployment { January 26 2003 }
Amy goodman giving voice to silenced majority { April 21 2004 }
Aniston bares more [jpg]
Antiwar group says ad is rejected { July 12 2004 }
Ashcroft calls on news to brainwash { June 20 2003 }
Bank australia hbo takeover
Bill oreilly flips out and edits show { June 30 2004 }
British news favors israeli position { June 22 2004 }
Cbs fires producer over arafat special report
Cbs refuses anti bush ad { January 31 2004 }
Clear channel conglomerate { January 30 2003 }
Clear channel deregulation mess
Clear channel hearing
Clear channel mexico san diego { October 4 2002 }
Clear channel organizes pro war rallies { March 26 2003 }
Cnn intimidated by bush
Cnn planted question at debate
Cnn regrets planting debate questions { November 11 2003 }
Cnn vs cnn international different pictures { April 11 2003 }
Comcast makes unsolicited bid for disney
Corporate ads aired as real news
Corruption in the business { September 15 2003 }
Cross ownership { April 20 2001 }
Decline in public trust of media
Defense contractor buys movie theater chain loews { June 22 2004 }
Discovery empire
Disney prevents release of michael moore film { May 5 2004 }
Drawing up press battle lines { February 2 2003 }
Elton john says stars are scared to speak out { July 17 2004 }
Fcc easing television caps save viacom { May 11 2003 }
Fcc questions stations on fake news { August 15 2006 }
Financial times beats new york times as best paper
Fired radio host sues clear channel { July 7 2003 }
Head that could roll at bskyb
Hitler rise to power series canceled { May 15 2003 }
Idol calls in marine
Isaacson resigns cnn
Longer war more money { February 27 2003 }
Mccain feingold stop consolidation
Mccain questions clear channel dixie chicks { July 8 2003 }
Media big fish
Media cross ownership rule { April 29 2003 }
Media empire born { September 2 2003 }
Media giant shows anti kerry film before election
Media is mouthpiece for whatever administration in power { August 12 2004 }
Media mergers { May 14 2002 }
Media owned republicans { September 26 2003 }
Media ownership
Media sells war { February 18 2003 }
Moore reveals carlyle holdings 17 percent disney { July 28 2004 }
Msnbc ceo dismissed { December 21 2002 }
Msnbc future { August 18 2002 }
Msnbc hits bottom
Msnbc savage show canceled { July 7 2003 }
Mtv censors lyrics free mumia
Murdock to control directv { April 10 2003 }
Nbc postpones world dating show
Nbc pres to sony
NBC reports arabs blame US for tsunami { January 7 2005 }
Nbc shakeup
Neil young sings patriot 911 songs
Network executives pressured to support bush { May 28 2008 }
New york times criticizes own war coverage { May 26 2004 }
News ownership chart [gif]
News reporters ordered not to investigate 911
Newspapers cutting foreign correspondents { February 18 2007 }
Npr commercial { April 11 2002 }
Npr gets big money from mcdonalds { November 6 2003 }
Nytimes reporter faces fraud inquiry
Nytimes tensions shakeups
Oreilly attacks son of 911 victim jeremy glick { February 4 2003 }
Pacifica radio moves to berkley { June 24 2003 }
Powell concern media concentration
Powell cut off during interview { May 17 2004 }
Protest music died { February 20 2003 }
Refusal to air iraqi dead criticized { March 19 2003 }
Rep sanders
Rep sanders2
Rick braggs nytimes problem
Salon pacifica { June 20 2002 }
Saudi owned upi massive debt { April 24 1999 }
Sinclair broadcast fires chief for criticizing political ad { October 18 2004 }
Speaker at press corps dinner chides press for doing nothing
Stern tears into fcc { April 18 2003 }
Stories pushed aside in march to war
Ted turned says network news focus is on the pervert of the day
Ted turner lost 85 percent
Ted turner says government protects big media { July 8 2004 }
Thomas friedman calls 911 holy day for war { October 26 2001 }
Time warner joins bidding for MGM { July 2 2004 }
Un newspapers failed to challenge government claim about wmd { March 11 2004 }
Viacom extends mtv reach in china { September 23 2004 }
Viacom president quits { June 2 2004 }
War patriotic music radio { February 24 2003 }
Washington post says iraq coverage was flawed
Washington post to have shorter stories more photos { November 19 2004 }

Files Listed: 97



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple