Fighting FCC Deregulation

President’s Message

How many more stations do they  [the big broadcast conglomerates] need to remain profitable and competitive?

A strange thing is happening in Washington, D.C. Republicans and Democrats are actually working together on something that's in the public's best interest.

Bipartisan coalitions are being formed to rollback an FCC ruling that dramatically relaxes media ownership regulations. Under the FCC ruling, there would be nothing to stop one company from owning a TV station, a radio station and a newspaper in a large market. Broadcast companies could also own stations that reach up to 45-percent of the viewers across the country as opposed to the current restriction of 35-percent.

        The big broadcast conglomerates were cheering when the US Supreme Court declared George Bush the winner of the 2000 election. Because they assumed it was a slam-dunk that with Republicans in control, they could increase their grip on audiences and ad revenue. But not so fast. Unions, consumer groups, broad-casters, performers and even the NRA have done a great job in telling Congress the pitfalls of further deregulation of the industry.

Consider this: In Pittsburgh alone - Clear Channel already owns radio stations WDVE-FM, WWSW-FM, FOX SPORTS RADIO 970, WJJJ-FM, WKST-FM AND WXDX-FM. CBS/INFINITY/VIACOM owns Pittsburgh radio stations KDKA-AM, WBZZ-FM, WZPT-FM and WDSY-FM. And they own TV stations KDKA and WNPA.

How many more stations do they need to remain profitable and competitive? Apparently they want a lot more. But the public doesn't see it that way. Radio listeners are already hip to the fact that Clear Channel radio stations have an extremely tight play list. There's little room for new or more innovative music.

And what happens when just one news department serves an unlimited number of stations? Will it mean less local news? Will it mean fewer jobs for broadcasters and more work for those who do have a job? Will diverse or unpopular issues be covered? Will a "giant" grocery store chain that buys an advertising package for all the stations owned by one company have an influence on news stories they don't like? You can answer yes to every one of those questions.

As AFTRA told the FCC,  more deregulation will mean the loss of "diversity and localism in the news and information available to the general public and further erosion of innovation in media programming".

The Senate Commerce Committee heard us and others. It recently sent a bill to the full Senate that would roll back many of the rules. It's a great first step. But now we have to keep the pressure on to get a vote in both the House and the Senate. And will candidate George Bush sign it into law or veto it?

AFTRA-PITTSBURGH has urged Pennsylvania Senators Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum to vote in favor of the bill to rollback FCC deregulation. We plan to keep to the pressure on.