The battle over media ownership is heating up on Capitol Hill and the Federal Communications Commission. House Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell, D-Mich., a key lawmaker, on Friday called on the FCC to do a better job collecting data it uses to justify its limits on media mergers.
Continue reading below
Dingell raised the issue after the Government Accountability Office released a report Friday about ownership of broadcast outlets by women and minorities. The GAO study raised concerns about the way the FCC collected data on minority- and women-owned outlets. It added that few stations were owned by women and minorities.
Democrats at the commission have argued that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's effort to loosen merger limits would make it even more difficult for women and minorities to buy outlets. They argue that the agency's responsibility to promote diverse points of view means it should seek to make sure there is a wide variety of owners.
"It is vital to our democracy that distinct and varied voices be heard and represented in our media," Dingell said. "Increasing minority and female ownership of broadcast stations should be a priority for the FCC."
And this is just the beginnig of the showdown. The Senate Commerce Committee plans to vote April 24 on legislation that would overturn a rule allowing for more consolidation between newspapers and broadcasters. Already the Bush adminstration has said it would veto the bill.- Ron Orol
Ron Orol is a Washington-based reporter for The Deal and author of Extreme Value Hedging: How Activist Hedge Fund Managers Are Taking on the World.
