CEO DATELINE - Newspapers, broadcasters urge end to federal ban on joint media ownership
CEO DATELINE - Newspapers, broadcasters urge end to federal ban on joint media ownership
- July 8, 2016 |
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Walt Williams
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Broadcasters and newspaper publishers are urging the Federal Communications Commission to lift its four-decade ban on media outlets owning a broadcast station and newspaper in the same market, saying the rule is irrelevant in the Internet era.
The National Broadcasters Association laid out its case against the ban in documents submitted to FCC on Thursday, the industry news site Broadcasting & Cable reported. The association was responding to a recent report by FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler that argued in favor of keeping the restriction.
Among other things, NAB accused the commission of not taking into consideration competition from online media services.
"The FCC can no longer ignore the Internet's transformative effects on the media marketplace and on consumers' access to news and information," the association said. http://bit.ly/29wcU5h
FCC enacted the ban in 1975 as part of a wave of regulations meant to keep any one media company from gaining dominance in a market, thereby controlling nearly all the information readers and viewers receive. But with the rise of the Internet, the public no longer has to rely on newspapers, TV or radio to get most of their news and entertainment, according to the groups seeking to overturn the ban.
"The (Newspaper Association of America) is stunned that any policymaker in the Internet era would propose to keep a 1970s-era law that prevents broadcast stations and newspapers from being owned by the same company," the association said in a statement.
NAA argues the ban puts newspapers at a disadvantage against online news outlets that are not subject to the same restriction. That uneven playing field discourages investment in entities that serve local audiences, like community newspapers and broadcast outlets, according to the group.
"The result will be less resources for the local news on which our democracy depends," NAA said. http://bit.ly/29DPudk
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