Comments (PDF)
The commenters urge the Commission to tighten or maintain existing broadcast ownership limits so as to increase opportunities for minorities and women to own broadcast stations and to best promote the public interest goals of diversity, localism, competition, and efficient use of the spectrum. Using legal analysis and a survey of recent empirical data, the groups make a compelling case that the FCC's relaxation of ownership protections has led to an unacceptable decline in the ownership of influential media outlets by women and people of color. The commenters outline how increasing ownership by women and minorities would have numerous societal benefits including breaking down racial and gender stereotypes. They urge the FCC to act promptly to develop a working definition of "socially and economically disadvantaged" businesses that would include small businesses controlled by minorities or women, a move that would facilitate ownership by these segments of the population. The groups offer bold sensible policy recommendations for the FCC in the areas of radio, television, and cross-ownership. For example, the commenters astutely point out that digital television broadcasting offers owners the ability to air between 5 and 20 channels using their current spectrum allocation, and thus there is no practical need for these companies to own more than one traditional broadcast license. Finally, the groups point to the FCC's lax analysis of its own ownership data and urges the Commission to first study in detail the issue of the effects of media consolidation before moving to enact further harmful deregulations.
The marriage of Comcast and NBC is bad news for consumers. But Washington and Wall Street have already bought into the idea that it's a done deal. That's why Americans need to speak out now and stop the mega-merger!
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