[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 159 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
S. RES. 159

Expressing the sense of the Senate that the June 2, 2003, ruling of the 
    Federal Communications Commission weakening the Nation's media 
 ownership rules is not in the public interest and should be rescinded.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 4, 2003

  Mr. Pryor (for himself, Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Edwards, Mrs. Lincoln, Mr. 
Graham of Florida, Mr. Reed, Mr. Bingaman, Mr. Leahy, Ms. Landrieu, Mr. 
    Jeffords, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Baucus, Mr. Carper, and Mrs. Murray) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Senate that the June 2, 2003, ruling of the 
    Federal Communications Commission weakening the Nation's media 
 ownership rules is not in the public interest and should be rescinded.

Whereas the Federal Communications Commission moved with unreasonable haste in 
        considering the issue of media concentration and did not previously 
        disclose the proposed ownership rule the Commission implemented in its 
        June 2, 2003, ruling on media ownership rules;
Whereas the Commission did not provide an opportunity for the public to review, 
        debate, and comment on the proposed changes prior to the ruling;
Whereas it would have been appropriate for the Commission to include such public 
        review, debate, and comment on the specific provisions of its proposal 
        prior to issuing a ruling with such broad implications;
Whereas there is no indication that the Commission has adequately addressed the 
        impact of the proposed ownership rule changes on industry market share 
        and consumer prices;
Whereas greater media concentration could threaten the diversity of and extent 
        of local content in broadcast programming and news, and has the 
        potential to inhibit or remove local control over such programming;
Whereas, despite the rapid growth of vital Spanish-language media outlets in the 
        past several years, there is no indication that the Commission 
        considered treating Spanish-language media separately for purposes of 
        its broadcast media ownership restrictions, thereby failing to extend to 
        Spanish speakers the same protections afforded members of the English-
        speaking broadcast community; and
Whereas it is in the public interest to maintain local control and promote 
        diversity in television programming, which the previous ownership rules 
        had been designed to ensure: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that the June 2, 2003, 
ruling of the Federal Communications Commission weakening the Nation's 
media ownership rules is not in the public interest and should be 
rescinded.
                                 <all>