Abernathy Says FCC to Look Broadly at Media Ownership Issues
FCC’s media ownership rulemaking will include discussions on “virtually every issue,” FCC. Comr. Abernathy said. Speaking Tues. at the Minority Media & Telecom Council (MMTC), Abernathy said the further notice of proposed rulemaking on media ownership rules would include comment on related issues, such as the rules’ impact on indecency, children’s programming, violent programming and on minority and women’s ownership.
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Last week, the FCC delayed action on the rules, remanded by the 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia (CD July 15 p1). “The delay didn’t have anything to do with the substance of the argument. But in the 11th hour we couldn’t reach a consensus on certain procedural issues,” Abernathy said.
She said she hopes the FCC soon addresses media ownership again, but didn’t specify timing. The appeals court rejected the FCC methods relaxing media ownership rules to allow, among other things, a single firm to own TV stations and a newspaper in the same market.
The Commission needs to put minority media ownership front and center, said FCC Comr. Adelstein during an earlier MMTC panel. “We need your expertise on how to create more minority businesses.” He called for studies on the topic.
Speaking with Adelstein, Congresswoman Watson (D- Cal.) said the industry and Congress needs to focus on how to boost minority ownership, including having a minority tax incentive. “We can all do more and have spectrum set aside for new and small players, specifically minorities,” Watson said.
“Modern telecom services are allowing more diversity in the marketplace,” Abernathy said. Wireless services are tailored to this diverse nation, she said, and Internet services create opportunities for entrepreneurs.
Abernathy’s comments on media ownership came days before comments are due on Time Warner and Comcast’s pending $17 billion acquisition of Adelphia cable systems (CD April 22 p3). Comments to the FCC, due Thurs., are expected to be more aggressive than usual due to uncertainty over the media ownership rules, said Media Access Project Pres. Andrew Schwartzman. How FCC Chmn. Martin responds to the deal will be a sign of how the Commission could decide media ownership rules, Schwartzman said.