U.S. Attorney Gen-loosen Newspaper/broadcast cross ownership

[Force Commander]

Is this the answer? Or is it too little too late?

Earlier this week we told you that U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder (pictured) asking the Justice Department to adjust the government’s anti-trust polices to allow newspapers greater flexibility to consolidate and combine operations (NTS MediaOnline Today 3/17) – something Pelosi and other congressional politicians have previously spoken out against when it comes to the broadcast industry. Yesterday (3/18), Holder said he would be “open” to adjusting anti-trust polices if it would help newspapers experiencing financial difficulties. “I’d like to think that 20, 30, 40 years from now people will still be reading newspapers,” Holder told reporters in DC. Although the AG said he’d not yet seen the Speaker’s letter, Holder said he believes it’s “important for this nation to maintain a healthy newspaper industry,” and confirmed that he’s “willing to look at our enforcement policies and conform to the reality the [newspaper] industry faces.”

http://www.ntsmediaonline.com/?p=3436&u ... dium=email

[genlock]

Until and unless the FCC begins to regulate print media, the ownership of newspapers should have no
bearing on broadcast ownership in any way. I told this to the chief of the media bureau 10 years ago
at the NAB. Print media (the Press) is none of the government's business. I also told him that Public
Broadcasting fund raising should be prohibited. He knew I was PBS/NPR affiliated.

[Big Media]

Until and unless the FCC begins to regulate print media, the ownership of newspapers should have no
bearing on broadcast ownership in any way. I told this to the chief of the media bureau 10 years ago
at the NAB. Print media (the Press) is none of the government's business. I also told him that Public
Broadcasting fund raising should be prohibited. He knew I was PBS/NPR affiliated.

To which he replied "He's just a lame, small market engineer. What does he know?"

[Mike]

Unfortunately the government has gotten away with ignoring that pesky "Congress shall make NO law..." bit for decades now. You are absolutely right, the FCC, which is a CREATION of Congress, and hence, cannot be granted a power Congress does not have, has absolutely NO power to "abridge the freedom of speech, or of the press" in any way whatsoever. If anyone cared about such things these days.

Since the government (and agencies) has no authority to abridge the freedom of speech or of the press they certainly have no authority to tell anyone who can and cannot own or operate a newspaper.

That said you'd be shocked at the amount of regulation done to the newspaper industry. The Feds have their wedges in everywhere they can, in ways I had no idea of before Champion bought the HD. Did you know that we have to report AUDITED circulation numbers to the Feds? We even have to report on our web traffic!

I'd love to just once see someone sit there in front of Congress and tell a "distinguished" blowhard senator or representative, "Sir, you don't have the authority to have anything but an OPINION about that, haven't you read the 1st Amendment?" instead of cowering, bowing, scraping and prostrating them self in front of them.

[AmpedNow]

Considering most papers just regurgitate the same crap that comes from the AP and the NYT instead of in-house reporting, I don't think cross ownership would mean much anymore. It might even be better if it keeps them afloat.

And certainly congress or the FCC has no business regulating content, period.

The biggest challenge for old media is adapting to new distribution platforms and figuring out how to fully monetize it. Radio included.

[Mike]

Considering most papers just regurgitate the same crap that comes from the AP and the NYT instead of in-house reporting, I don't think cross ownership would mean much anymore. It might even be better if it keeps them afloat.

And certainly congress or the FCC has no business regulating content, period.

The biggest challenge for old media is adapting to new distribution platforms and figuring out how to fully monetize it. Radio included.

Local radio mostly just reads you the HD stories on the front page rather than actually gathering news as well