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Date Posted: Wed 05/28/03 - 8:20:51 PM
Author: Jammin'
Subject: FCC Decision on Nightline

The major FCC rewriting of the rules governing ownership of TV stations and other media is scheduled to be voted upon next Monday, June 2nd by the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC. If you`re interested, check out NIGHTLINE tonight at 10:35 PM on Channel 4.
"Have you noticed that radio stations sound more and more alike these days? They seem to be operating from the same song lists. Well, that`s because many of them are. Seven years ago the FCC loosened the restrictions on the number of radio stations that a corporation may own and today there are 30% fewer radio station owners. One such owner, Clear Channel, grew from 43 stations to nearly 1200 stations in that time. Fewer independently owned radio stations = more homogenous sounding radio.
"So what? You can always buy CDs, right? Well, the problem is even more troubling to critics than just artistic censorship, which is troubling enough on its own. Diversity of opinions, competition and the news marketplace are elements of our democracy that we sometimes take for granted. Without such freedom of ideas, what will we lose? It`s hard to say what will happen, but many people are worried, including some strange bedfellows, such as the National Rifle Association and the National Organization for Women.
"The FCC is likely to approve changes next week for TV that are similar to the ones it approved six years ago for radio. These changes would lift many of the restrictions on ownership of media, including local television stations, newspapers, cable and broadcast networks. A single corporate owner, currently limited in the number of media outlets it can own in a single market, will be freed to buy more. Supporters of these changes argue that the looser regulations will benefit both stockholders of media companies, as well as their consumers. They argue that such measures will allow smaller media organizations to stay afloat during a harsh economic climate.
"ABC`s Lisa Stark will look at the FCC`s proposed changes and the potential impacts it may have on communities and individuals. She`ll describe one community in North Dakota, where the radio stations are nearly all owned by the same corporation and the old adage "in the event of an emergency, tune to your local radio station," was an empty promise.
"Ted Koppel will talk with FCC Chairman Michael Powell about the proposed changes."

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