FCC may ease media ownership

WASHINGTON – The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission wants to eliminate a ban on radio and television broadcasters owning newspapers, but only in the nation’s largest media markets.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin opted to focus on the newspaper ban only and declined to act on other media ownership rules up for consideration. The proposal still requires a full vote of the commission. “I think this is both a moderate and a fair proposal,” Martin said in a conference call with reporters Tuesday afternoon.

Talk of lifting the ban has met with stiff resistance from public interest groups and commission Democrats.

Martin opted not to pursue complete removal of the ban. Under his proposal, one entity would be permitted to own a newspaper and one radio station or television station, but only if it is in one of the 20 largest markets in the nation.

After the transaction, at least eight independently owned-and-operated media voices must remain in the market, and the television station may not be among the market’s top four.

Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps, who has fought liberalization of media rules since his appointment, said Martin’s proposal is much more far-reaching than he is portraying. “This is not, to my way of looking, a very modest proposal,” Copps said Tuesday. “I think it could do considerable damage.”

Newspaper Association of America President John Sturm said Martin had not gone far enough. He noted “radical and irreversible market changes” since the rule was adopted “have extinguished any basis for this across-the-board ban.”