Rep. Dingell Spurs FCC Toward Final Order on Ownership

But also supports incorporating more input on impact on minorities, women, newsgathering

By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 3/5/2013 2:11:58 PM

The FCC's quadrennial media ownership review is getting some gentle goosing from Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.)

In a letter dated Tuesday to FCC chairman Julius Genachowski, Dingell, the former chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, notes that there is another (2014) quadrennial review just around the corner, while the FCC has yet to complete the 2010 review.

That review has been held up by a number of factors, including court challenges to the old rules not resolved by 2010 and, most recently, the FCC's agreement to solicit more input and a new study on the impact of its proposal to loosen the ban on TV/newspaper cross-ownership (by broadening the waiver policy), and lift the ban on radio/newspaper cross-ownership.

Dingell said he supported collecting more data on minority ownership before proceeding with the final order, but as urged the commission to move "expeditiously" to incorporate that new info and vote the order so there can be a record on which to base the next review.