Political Quotes

“the current newspaper-broadcast cross- ownership rule prohibits the coownership of a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same market. This rule is the only local ownership rule that has not been modified by the Federal Communications Commission, FCC, since the ownership rules went into place over 30 years ago. Despite massive innovation in the media marketplace, the advocates of S.J. Res. 28, the Dorgan resolution, want to preserve an archaic rule that is no longer relevant or useful in today's media world. On December 18, 2007, the FCC issued an order to provide a modest relaxation of the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership prohibition in the top 20 markets. To ensure that one company doesn't control the local media, the prohibition is only relaxed if there are eight independent television stations in the market. The rule change only applies to the acquisition of a television station not ranking in the top four in any market, which essentially excludes network affiliated stations. The FCC's order further mandates that all proposed newspaper- broadcast combinations be reviewed by the Commission on a case-by-case basis with the opportunity for public comment. Simply put, the new FCC rule provides a modest relief in a limited number of markets and ensures that any changes are carefully scrutinized.”