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Why Ownership Rules Matter
Consumer, civil rights and citizens' groups warn that media deregulation will further erode media diversity, political debate and the quality of our journalism and entertainment (not to mention diminish minority ownership and increase cable rates). They insist that government policymakers must honor their mandate as guardians of the public airways by supporting opportunities for diverse, independent, public-access and community media and ensuring free and fair access to information.
But the chair of the Federal Communications Commission, Michael Powell, doesn't think consolidation will limit diversity of views and believes "the oppressor here is regulation."
Corporations have been fighting to kill ownership restrictions in the courts and in Congress. Media industries have been called the most powerful lobby in Washington (with lobbying expenses of $125 million, according to Mother Jones). Public-interest media advocates have far more limited outreach and resources. And the issues simply aren't getting talked about outside of the trade papers.
Now the federal government is on the verge of eliminating
most of the remaining ownership restrictions. In May, 2001, Senator Ron Wyden told Powell, "On your watch, we could have the most radical consolidation of media ownership in our history."
We, the public, can and should make our voices heard on these issues. We can learn
about the debates and insist that our representatives work to protect and promote a media system that advances diversity of voices, freedom of information, public participation, independence, creativity, political debate and a rich, vibrant and open media culture.
MediaChannel presents this guide to the Issues and the Arguments and encourages you to learn more about the groups working on media policy and GET INVOLVED!
— Aliza Dichter, editor.
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The Issues & The Interests
• Schedule of FCC's monthly public meetings, also broadcast on live TV and available by phone.
Thou Shalt Deregulate?
The State Of The Ownership Debate
The digital age has given this federal agency unprecedented power, but has it fallen under control of the very corporations it is supposed to regulate? From Mother Jones online, September, 2001
Fewer Owners = More Diversity?
Why Civil Rights Groups Should Care About Ownership Rules
This article series from Salon looks at "corporate consolidation of the information industries" from books, radio and the merger-loving FCC to AOL and Microsoft's plots to dominate the Net. From Salon.com
Report: The Legislative Agendas Of Media Companies
The Right To Radio
Arguments Against Deregulation
• The Concentrated 6: MediaChannel's Global Ownership Chart
Chart: FCC Ownership Rules And Why They Matter Telecom For Dummies
The Radical Vision Of The FCC Chief
Consolidation Corrodes The Media-War Connection
Campaigning For Diversity And Open Access
Limits, Pro & Con
Writers' Guild of America: Ownership limits are needed to protect diversity, creativity and the American public.
A coalition of consumer, civil rights, and public interest media groups: Newspaper-broadcast cross ownership limits are needed.
The Newspaper Association of America: Cross-ownership rules are "onerous" and "outdated."
Consumer, citizen and independent media groups: Cable TV ownership limits are needed to "prevent cable monopolies from dominating TV programming and Internet services, as well as to prevent them from blocking video competitors."
House Committee on Energy and Commerce chair, W. J. "Billy" Tauzin, and other members of Congress: FCC should drop ownership caps as media outlets don't need to be locally owned to serve their communities.
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