Senators want answers on media consolidation
By Paige Albiniak -- Broadcasting & Cable, 5/24/2002 11:42:00 AM
Three powerful lawmakers are calling on the Federal Communications Commission to investigate how media consolidation is affecting access to programming.
Sens. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.), Herb Kohl (D-Wis.) and Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) want the FCC to complete an independent investigation by the end of the year or before the FCC acts to change any media-ownership rules, whichever comes first.
"Diversity of voices and opinions are vital to competition as well as the discourse of our democracy," the three wrote. "Given the substantial, ongoing consolidation in the media industry and recent court decisions striking down rules that restrain this trend, we are extremely concerned that this competition and discourse is at risk."
Specifically, the senators want the FCC to look at whether large media companies take advantage of their size when deciding what programming they will carry.
The so-called program-access rules, which are part of the 1992 Cable Act and require vertically integrated cable companies to grant all buyers access to their programming on fair terms, are set to expire in October.
The FCC is conducting a rulemaking on the issue that is supposed to be completed this summer.
The FCC also is looking at several other media-ownership rules, including how best to modify a cap on national-television ownership, whether to allow crossownership of newspapers and TV stations, and whether or not to limit national ownership of cable systems.
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