ACLU Asks Senate to Block FCC Media-Ownership Change
American Civil Liberties Union Latest to Challenge Federal Communications Commission's Rule Change
By John Eggerton -- Broadcasting & Cable, 4/2/2008 8:12:00 AM
The American Civil Liberties Union wants to see the Federal Communications Commission's recent media-ownership-rule change overturned.
In a letter to the heads of the Senate Commerce Committee -- which is holding a hearing Wednesday on a resolution to overturn that decision -- the ACLU said it was all for it.
"While S. J. Res. 28 will only return us to the pre-December rules, it at least prevents further consolidation, further erosion of minority ownership and diversity and further narrowing of the spectrum of opinions expressed in the media," ACLU director Caroline Frederickson wrote. "We urge you to support S. J. Res 28."
The resolution was introduced by veteran media-consolidation critic Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) after the FCC voted Dec. 18 to loosen, though not lift, the ban on ownership of a broadcast station and newspaper in a single market.
Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez sent a letter to the committee Tuesday night opposing the resolution and saying that he would advise the president to veto it if it got to his desk.
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