Should a single company be able to own both a newspaper and a television station in the same market?

Question

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20061003/D8KH16IO1.html

WASHINGTON (AP) - The Federal Communications Commission kicks off the first of six planned public hearings Tuesday to discuss a number of broadcast ownership rules, including whether a single company should be able to own both a newspaper and a television station in the same market.

Clear Channel Communications Inc. (CCU), the nation's largest radio broadcaster with about 1,200 stations, is lobbying the FCC to increase the radio ownership limits in the largest markets, like Los Angeles.

The ownership rules exist because the broadcast airwaves are owned by the public and the law requires that the public interest be considered in how they are regulated. Too much control over the broadcast media in a market is deemed not in the public interest, though limits have been loosened over the years.

Answer 1

The amount of media power in the hands of just a few companies is an abuse of trust waiting to happen, and in most cases, happened already.
Allowing a single corporation to own virtually all media in a specific area is the sell-out of democracy. Large media corporations rely solely on advertisement for their revenue. This advertisement is again given by other large corporations who have extremely close ties to the GOP and therefore are interested that the large media conglomerates do not criticize the Bush junta. In order to protect their revenues the large media conglomerate will not live up to it's duty to inform the public about the crimes the Bush junta commits.

Plain and simple.

Answer 2

We've seen enough of this.

The rationale and purpose of the legislation was to ensure that people in each media market could hear a variety of viewpoints; it was to protect freedom of speech by allowing a diversity of views. The newspaper and broadcast industries have consolidated a great deal, and so many newspapers have closed or merged that in many areas, this diversity is being threatened. Loosening the FCC regulations will further undermine the purpose of the ownership rules. Do we want variety or do we want media that is just oriented one way politically or culturally.

This is more of a threat than you might imagine.There is a trend toward monopolies. Think of what has happened to computer software. Everything is based on Microsoft Windows, Apple has essentially disappeared. What would happen to political discourse and cultural choice in the US if Fox was the primary source for all of our news and entertainment? Or the New York Times and PBS for that matter?

Answer 3

Are we talking about radio stations? Or TV and newspaper? Monopolies are bad, they stifle competition and limit consumer choice. I don't have a problem with the same company owning a TV and newspaper in the same market. Most areas have more than one TV station so competition is not a problem. If it is a large metro area they probably also have more than one newspaper. As to radio the same rules apply. So long as there is adequate competition the interests of the people is served. Remember capitalism rules in this society, if people don't like the content the media outlet will not survive.

Answer 4

Yep