FCC Chmn. Powell played cat and mouse with the news media here la...
FCC Chmn. Powell played cat and mouse with the news media here late Mon. over his planned announcement Wed. about a new media proceeding. Powell, who wanted to save the bulk of the news until Wed., said the proceeding…
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would look at ways to encourage localism and diversity other than through media concentration rules. Localism and diversity are the real issues the public cares about, he said. A staff member reiterated that the proceeding was “about better ways to forward localism” and was “not directly tied to” the issue of concentration that was dealt with in the recent vote. Back in Washington, consumer advocates were up in arms that Powell would open any sort of proceeding on media ownership now, after the Commission already had ruled. “I have to say my mind boggles when Powell says he will announce tomorrow [Wed.] a study on media concentration. If he was an official in Japan, he would resign in shame,” said Center for Digital Democracy Executive Dir. Jeffrey Chester. Chester said he found Powell’s attempt to study the effects of media concentration at this late date “unprofessional, bizarre” and said he was “desperately trying to salvage his political career (and his ego) by trying to prove that media consolidation isn’t really a problem.”