Fun_People Archive
27 Mar
Telecom Act Revisited by FCC, Congress

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Fri, 27 Mar 98 00:13:29 -0800
To: Fun_People
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Subject: Telecom Act Revisited by FCC, Congress

From: Daniel Glasner <dannyglas@USA.NET>


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                                 FAIR-L
                    Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
               Media analysis, critiques and news reports
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Media activists frequently criticize the Telecommunications Act of 1996 that
lifted restrictions on media ownership.  Touted as a "pro-competition" move,
the act of course allowed for the mergers and increased concentration that
we see in today's media world.  You may not know that the Telecom Act also
required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to consider changing
a whole range of rules-including the rule that forbids a company from owning
a TV station and a newspaper in the same market. The FCC has always had the
power to waive the rule in specific cases, and they've done so-for Rupert
Murdoch in New York city, for example.
		Now FAIR has learned that Republicans in Congress want
this cross-ownership rule scrapped entirely, and they've put forward
legislation that will do just that. They've got the support of the National
Association of Broadcasters and the Newspaper Association of America-who
say that given the wealth of news available to people, there's no need to
worry about the loss of diversity implied in letting one company control a
town's TV news and what may be their only daily.  If you'd like to weigh in
with the FCC on whether or not to maintain rules against newspaper-TV cross
ownership, the time is now.
		You can view Chairman Kennard's comments on the Telecom
Act at http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/kennard/, and you can send him a
message directly from that web page by clicking on the "Mail" icon at the
top right-hand side of the screen.
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