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CWA tells FCC: Preserve Media Diversity, Ownership
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley pressed the Federal Communications Commission to safeguard the media from further consolidation in order to preserve the full dissemination and diversity of information to the public.
Foley was among those testifying at the FCC's field hearing on media consolidation in Richmond, Va. The hearing featured three panels that looked at key policy goals of broadcast regulation - diversity, localism and competition.
The FCC is considering lifting restrictions on cross ownership between local television stations and newspapers, between local radio stations and newspapers, on mergers or other combinations of television broadcast networks and on the number of local television or radio stations owned by one entity, among other changes that will affect public policy and availability and diversity of news and entertainment sources.
At previous field hearings and media briefings, CWA has cited overwhelming evidence that demonstrates that the current restrictions on media concentration and cross-ownership are needed to preserve a vibrant free media.
Foley cited the purchase of Canada's largest newspaper chain by its second largest commercial broadcast chain as a strong example of how concentration of media ownership can destroy those key goals.
Within months of that merger, CanWest Global mandated that its 14 largest newspapers and all broadcast news operations follow the editorial viewpoints dictated by the Winnipeg headquarters, a complete reversal of the journalistic tradition of local editorial independence, she testified.
In the United States, local television and newspaper media markets are already highly concentrated, Foley said, and most cities are one-newspaper towns. The FCC should not permit mergers in markets that are already highly concentrated, and if mergers are permitted, the FCC should ensure that the combination is in the public interest and that antagonistic sources of news and information are preserved, she noted. For more information, go to www.saveourmedia.org.
Foley was among those testifying at the FCC's field hearing on media consolidation in Richmond, Va. The hearing featured three panels that looked at key policy goals of broadcast regulation - diversity, localism and competition.
The FCC is considering lifting restrictions on cross ownership between local television stations and newspapers, between local radio stations and newspapers, on mergers or other combinations of television broadcast networks and on the number of local television or radio stations owned by one entity, among other changes that will affect public policy and availability and diversity of news and entertainment sources.
At previous field hearings and media briefings, CWA has cited overwhelming evidence that demonstrates that the current restrictions on media concentration and cross-ownership are needed to preserve a vibrant free media.
Foley cited the purchase of Canada's largest newspaper chain by its second largest commercial broadcast chain as a strong example of how concentration of media ownership can destroy those key goals.
Within months of that merger, CanWest Global mandated that its 14 largest newspapers and all broadcast news operations follow the editorial viewpoints dictated by the Winnipeg headquarters, a complete reversal of the journalistic tradition of local editorial independence, she testified.
In the United States, local television and newspaper media markets are already highly concentrated, Foley said, and most cities are one-newspaper towns. The FCC should not permit mergers in markets that are already highly concentrated, and if mergers are permitted, the FCC should ensure that the combination is in the public interest and that antagonistic sources of news and information are preserved, she noted. For more information, go to www.saveourmedia.org.