William Pryor: “I say very emphatically that those rules are not in the public interest and should be rescinded. As we all know, 2 days…”

“I say very emphatically that those rules are not in the public interest and should be rescinded. As we all know, 2 days ago, the Federal Communications Commission by a vote of 3 to 2 rolled back longstanding rules governing media ownership. This ruling eases the ban on cross-ownership of newspapers, television stations, and radio stations, and allows media corporations to own more outlets locally and nationwide. The new rules have the potential of placing significant control over what the public sees and hears and reads in the hands of a small number of media conglomerates. Ultimately, having a few entities control a vast percentage of the American media market will stifle the diversity of ideas, viewpoints, and opinions. It reminds me a little bit of Henry Ford who at one point told his customers that could order any color they wanted as long as it was black. I feel the same way--that we may be getting to that point with regard to our media; that we can see and read and hear anything we want as long as it comes through them. The diversity of viewpoints is critical to our democracy.”