In the Spirit of Christmas at the FCC

Busy day in DC. While the FCC was giving away the store to Big Media, Congress was getting ready to overhaul the FCC:

1. FCC Adopts Rules to Promote Video Programming Diversity by Ensuring New Video Programmers Can Enter and Compete in the Video Market. The Order will increase diversity in programming and choices for consumers. Adopted: 12/18/2007.
2. FCC Adopts Rules to Promote Diversification of Broadcast Ownership. Adopted Report and Order which will expand opportunities for participation in the broadcasting industry by new entrants and small businesses, including minority- and women-owned businesses, to own broadcast outlets. (Dkt No 07-294). Adopted: 12/18/2007.
3. FCC Adopts Localism Proposals to Ensure Programming is Responsive to Needs of Local Communities. The FCC took measures to help ensure that broadcast stations offer programming responsive to the needs and interests of the communities that they are licensed to serve. Adopted: 12/18/2007. ---> IOW: The FCC creates one more useless measure that it cannot enforce. But it appeases the sheeple. And they know that Big Media will tout # 4 as great and "See, we have all these new guidelines to follow." BAH!
4. FCC Adopts Revision to Newspaper/Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule. Amended the 32-year-old absolute ban on newspaper/broadcastcross-ownership by crafting an approach that would presumptively allow a newspaper to own one TV station or one radio station in the 20 largest markets, subject to strict criteria and limitations. Adopted: 12/18/2007. IOW: Kevin Martin wishes Big Media a Happy New Year!

I guess Martin is calling Congress' bluff. We'll see next year, if that myopic excuse for a Chairman still has a job. Or if he has to cash in all of his favors to either find gainful employment with any of the many companies he helped enrich while selling America down the river with this Administration or if K-Mart starts his run at Congress.

"The 30% limit, set first in 1993 and modified in 1999, was challenged by Time Warner in 2001. The DC Circuit Court then remanded it back to the FCC seeking further justification. That remand has been pending six years at the Commission."---> 6 YEARS

The Media Ownership issue was reviewed for years as well and Overwhelmingly the public outcry was for more localism and less corporate ownership of media properties. Glad we spent so much time and money (over $1M was spent in 2007 for the local meetings) to get input that was going to be ignored.

I just wish for consistency. If you "worry" about the viability of Media Companies (since that is mainly what I hear this little weasel talk about all the time), then he should also had been worried about the viability of Small Businesses like ISP's and the mom-and-pop radio stations and newspapers trying to make headway in this country.