Broadcasters, papers get OK to merge
Published 10:55 pm Tuesday, December 18, 2007
WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission, overturning a 32-year-old ban, voted Tuesday to allow broadcasters in the nation’s 20 largest media markets to also own a newspaper.
Under FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s proposal, one entity would be permitted to own a newspaper and one broadcast station in the same market.
But it must be among the 20 largest media markets in the nation, which includes the Seattle-Tacoma area. Following the transaction, at least eight independently owned-and-operated media voices must remain. In addition, the television station may not be among the top four in the market.
Opponents of the ban say in the past decade there has been an explosion of news outlets thanks to cable television and the Internet and that such restrictions are no longer necessary. Ban supporters say there may be additional outlets, but there has been no corresponding increase in news gatherers and producers, especially at the local level.
In other action, the commission approved a 30 percent national cap on subscribers for cable companies. The move would prevent a single cable television provider from serving 30 percent or more of the national pay television audience.
