Media Consolidation

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Media Consolidation

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The latest efforts to further consolidate the media is called 'media cross ownership.' This would essentially allow local television affiliates to merge with local newspapers. As you can imagine, the effects would be devastating. It could degrade the quality of local news available to the general public and lead to massive layoffs in newsrooms as newspapers and tv stations merge reporting operations.

The FCC approved a rule in December of 2007 that opens the door for this to happen.

Fortunately in May, with the strong support of the WGA, the United States Senate passed a 'resolution of disapproval to this FCC rule. By a nearly unanimous vote, Republicans and Democrats lined up to denounce further concentration of ownership of media into even fewer hands.

Now the US House of Representatives will take up its own 'resolution of disapproval' -- House Joint Resolution 79, sponsored by Congressmen Jay Inslee (D-WA) and Dave Reichert (R-WA). If HJ Res 79 is passed by the US House, the measure will be forwarded to the White House for final approval.

This fight is just one small step in preventing the further consolidation of the nation's media outlets.

Here are a few quotes from the testimony on the Senate Floor:

"The FCC is supposed to be a referee for the media industry, but instead they've been cheerleaders in favor of more consolidation. Diverse, independent and local media sources are essential to ensuring that the public has access to a variety of information." -- Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)

"As an original cosponsor of this measure, I applaud Senator Dorgan for once again taking the lead in introducing critical legislation to overturn a misguided attempt by the commission to relax crucial media ownership rules--a move that will only lead to further consolidation within the industry that will ultimately harm consumers

As my colleagues are well aware, consolidation in the media market has led to fewer locally owned stations, and less local programming and content. Indeed, it speaks volumes that the number of independent radio owners has plunged in the past 11 years by 39 percent." -- Senator Olympia Snowe (R-ME)

"Over the last several years, the effects of media consolidation have become extremely clear to the American people: Less local control and community-oriented programming; less independently produced programming; fewer divergent views and opinions; fewer minority-owned broadcast stations.

And now, the FCC has green-lighted further media concentration by voting to overturn a 32-year-old rule prohibiting the cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations--a rule that could impact markets in which nearly half of the American public lives and works.

Put simply, the FCC rule change would harm local and independent owners and help big media owners. In particular, the change further disadvantages minority media owners. While such owners control a mere 3 percent of the Nation's commercial TV stations, as many as 90 percent of minority media owners would be subject to these new rules. Further consolidation will simply reduce the number of opportunities for minorities to enter the market while putting those already in the market more at risk of being forced out by larger media conglomerates." -- Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT)

"While media consolidation might be good for Wall Street, it is not good for Main Street. The diversity of voices has been a key component to our society, and preserving them by making sure we don't have a consolidation of media is very important." -- Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA)