Worried that the Federal Communications Commission might get bogged down,
Richmond, Va.-based Media General Inc. is asking the commission to lift restrictions on
newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership separately if a broad review of all
media-ownership rules can't be complete by agency chairman Michael Powell's
spring target date.
"Unlike the case with some other media-ownership rules, the public-interest
benefits of repeal of the newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership rule are so clear
and inescapable that its prompt elimination is required" by the deregulatory
1996 Telecommunications Act, Media General said in a recent FCC filing.
Powell promised to bring the ownership proceeding to a vote June 2, and his strong
endorsement for relaxing the ban on ownership of local broadcast stations by
newspapers should encourage the company.
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But Powell may not find it easy to craft a three-vote majority to move the
omnibus changes -- which also would include alterations to the 35 percent TV-household reach cap, radio-market measurement, local TV-ownership caps and
local radio/TV cross-ownership.
Repeal of the local newspaper restriction, however, would likely get three
GOP votes if moved on its own.
Media General owns and operates newspaper/TV combos in six markets in the
Southeast and plans to pair more outlets among its 22 daily newspapers and 26 TV
stations if current limits are eliminated.
