[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 73 (Thursday, May 15, 2003)]
[House]
[Page H4172]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




FCC POISED TO RELAX OR ELIMINATE RULES ESSENTIAL TO MAINTENANCE OF FREE 
                                 PRESS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Brown) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. BROWN of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, in about 3 weeks, the Federal 
Communications Commission is poised to relax or eliminate some rules 
that are essential to the maintenance of a free press.
  Under long-standing FCC rules, giant media companies are limited as 
to how much control they can exert over any one medium market or any 
one medium generally. That is just good, common sense in American 
competition. But the Bush Federal Communications Commission is about to 
throw those sound public interest and market soundness principles out 
the window, allowing some of America's biggest companies to decide what 
you hear, when you hear it, what you see, and, in large part, what you 
think.
  This decision on the part of the Bush administration smacks of back-
room politics at its worst. It is a story of how three commissioners 
are working with corporate-owned media conglomerates to expand their 
control over what news the public receives. Already one radio company 
out of Texas, and the owner happens to be a friend of the President, 
already owns 1,200 radio stations in this country, including a half 
dozen, at least a half dozen in almost every city in America. Now, 
these three commissioners are working with corporate-owned media 
conglomerates to expand their control over the airwaves; and in the 
process of their decision, there have been no public meetings, no time 
for elected officials or outside groups to comment on the proposed 
changes. That has been the FCC's mode of operation the last couple of 
years.
  What is most outrageous is these ownership rules were established to 
protect and promote a diversity of viewpoints and to encourage economic 
competition.
  This pending decision only fuels the public's perception that the 
Bush administration has a policy of giving corporations what they want, 
regardless of the consequences to the Nation.
  The energy industry writes the administration's energy plan, 
companies like Enron. Chemical companies write environmental law. 
Chemical companies also write safe drinking water laws. Wall Street 
writes legislation to privatize Social Security. The drug industry 
writes legislation for prescription drugs. It is over and over and 
over. Now, the corporate-owned media companies are writing FCC 
policies.
  The Future of Music Coalition, a group representing artists from 
country music to rock and roll, released a report yesterday showing 
staggering public opposition to the Bush rule change. This coalition 
had volunteers review almost 10,000 comments received from the public 
that the Federal Communications Commission has made public on its Web 
site. There are an estimated 12,000 comments the FCC received that have 
not yet been reviewed. But of the 10,000 that have been reviewed, 9,065 
citizens unaffiliated with any corporate media, 9,065 said they were 
opposed to changing this rule. Only 11 individuals wrote into the FCC 
in support of changing the rule. That is an 824 to 1 ratio.

                              {time}  1430

  The public is rightly skeptical of this back-room deal. What the FCC 
leadership does not understand is that they should be accountable to 
the very people whose opinions they are simply dismissing, Mr. Speaker.
  If the FCC wants to dispute these numbers, then delay the vote, then 
schedule field hearings, then listen to people, then give this rule 
change the level of public scrutiny then that all ruling changes like 
that that affect the public interest deserve.
  But if the FCC moves forward in relaxing ownership restrictions, this 
important agency loses its credibility with American consumers, and 
American radio and TV listeners and viewers. It violates the very 
principles on which it was established.
  Interestingly, Mr. Speaker, yesterday a group of more than a dozen 
Democrats held a news conference to discuss corporate control of media. 
Almost always in news conferences like this media will show up. 
Yesterday when we held this news conference to discuss the corporate 
control of media, there was no corporate-owned media there. There was 
Congress Daily, and there was a small newspaper from Puerto Rico. No 
New York Times. No Washington Post. No networks. No Fox News. None of 
the large conglomerates that simply do not want to shine a light on 
some of the mischief they are creating as owners, as a few large owners 
of these large media conglomerates.
  Unfortunately, Mr. Speaker, on June 7 the Federal Communications 
Commission's vote to undermine ownership restrictions will take place. 
We will probably find out on that June 2 date that the Federal 
Communications Commission just might change its name from FCC, Federal 
Communications Commission, to FCC, Furthering Corporate Control. That 
is what this issue is about, a few companies owning large numbers of 
radio stations, large numbers of television stations, telling the 
American public only what those corporate interests want them to know.

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