Media News - Friday, May 16, 2008
US Senate votes to override media ownership rule
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday to overturn new, looser media ownership restrictions in the 20 biggest U.S. cities, defying a White House threat to veto the measure. Senators, on a voice vote, approved a resolution nullifying the new, relaxed ownership rules adopted in December by the Federal Communications Commission. The vote moved lawmakers a step closer toward overturning the new FCC rule. Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye, a co-sponsor of the resolution, said he was deeply troubled by the FCC's rule relaxing media cross-ownership. The new FCC rules eased a 1975 ban on ownership of a newspaper and broadcast outlet in a single market. Similar legislation has been introduced in the House but has not come up for a vote yet. The FCC's Republican chairman, Kevin Martin, has said the rule was a minimal loosening of the ban aimed at helping struggling newspapers in big cities by spreading local news-gathering costs across multiple media platforms. However, the rule has been sharply criticized by consumer groups and some lawmakers, as well as by the FCC's two Democratic commissioners. Critics say further consolidation of the media industry would eliminate independent voices and degrade local news coverage. They also contend that the FCC rule contains loopholes that would let media owners combine newspapers and broadcast outlets in many smaller markets around the United States, not just the top 20 cities. The resolution must be passed by both chambers to overturn the FCC rule. (Reuters)
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