[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 77 (Thursday, May 22, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6971-S6972]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                      FCC VOTE ON OWNERSHIP RULES

  Mr. JEFFORDS. Mr. President, I want to state my opposition to the 
Federal Communications Commission's scheduled June 2nd vote to overhaul 
current broadcast media ownership rules of newspapers, television ,and 
radio stations. I am disappointed that FCC Chairman Michael Powell has 
refused to hold a single public hearing regarding the proposed changes 
to these rules, or to entertain further public comment on what is 
turning out to become a historic rulemaking.
  The public needs to be heard from, and the public needs to know what 
will happen if the changes that Chairman Powell has proposed become 
reality. The biennial review required by the 1996 Telecommunications 
Act requires the FCC to review its rules every 2 years, but this review 
should not be used as an excuse to radically alter the way our 
constituents receive their news from the media.
  Not only am I disappointed at how this situation has come to pass, 
but I am also dismayed at what the FCC proposes. There are a number of 
changes that I disagree with--and this is just from what we have 
learned last week.
  For instance, we have learned that the FCC is considering to allow 
the major broadcast networks to purchase more television stations and 
strip them of local control. The FCC is also proposing to ease ``cross-
ownership'' rules and allow a media company to own a newspaper and 
television company in the same community.
  I urge everyone to reflect on this and how this will impact 
communities throughout this country. In my State of Vermont, we have a 
very proud tradition of grassroots activism. Our local Vermont media 
knows this and reports the day's events with a Vermont audience in 
mind. If more Vermont media companies are controlled by out-of-state, 
or out-of-country owners, I fear a significant deterioration in the 
coverage of local news.
  The Vermont Press Association and the Vermont State Legislature have 
concerns similar to mine. The Vermont Press Association has written a 
letter to the FCC explaining its position, and the Vermont State 
Legislature passed unanimously a joint resolution regarding this 
matter.
  I ask unanimous consent that both documents be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                     Vermont Press Association

                                     Colchester, VT, May 16, 2003.
     Hon. Michael Powell
     Chairman, Federal Communications Commission, Washington, DC.
       Dear Chairman Powell: The Board of Directors of the Vermont 
     Press Association, which represents the interests of the 10 
     dailies and four dozen non-dailies circulating in Vermont, 
     endorses a Joint Resolution passed May 13th by the Vermont 
     Legislature. The resolution, which I include at the end of 
     this letter (an official copy is to be sent to you by Vermont 
     Secretary of State Deborah Markowitz), urges the Federal 
     Communications Commission to provide for a public comment 
     period prior to the adoption of any changes to the broadcast 
     media ownership rules.
       We urge you to give serious consideration to this Joint 
     Resolution and allow for a public comment period, including 
     Congressional hearings, prior to issuing any new rules 
     concerning cross ownership.
       Although FCC rules are a federal matter, what we read in 
     newspapers, hear on the radio and see on television is a 
     local and state issue. There is too much consolidation in the 
     news business and too few independent voices; relaxing cross 
     ownership rules even more will hurt all citizens. As a board, 
     we support increased diversity in media ownership, not less.
       Thank you for your consideration of this press 
     association's viewpoint, and for taking into account the 
     resolution passed by the Vermont Legislature. We would 
     appreciate it if you would enter this resolution into the 
     public record on this issue.
           Sincerely,

                                                Ross Connelly,

                           President, Vermont Press Association,  
                                            Editor & Co-publisher,
     The Hardwick Gazette.
                                  ____


                       Joint House Resolution 18

       Whereas, pursuant to the provisions of 47 C.F.R. 
     Sec. 73.3555, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has 
     established a series of ownership rules for radio and 
     television stations in a designated market area (DMA), and
       Whereas, these rules were intended to prevent a 
     monopolization of media voices within a community, and
       Whereas, over the last several decades, the number of 
     commercial radio stations a single entity may own in a DMA 
     has risen dramatically, from the former universal limit of 
     one AM and one FM, to, depending on the total number of local 
     radio stations in the DMA, as many as eight, with no more 
     than five on either the AM or FM broadcast band, and
       Whereas, the number of local television stations a single 
     entity may own in a DMA has risen from one to two, depending 
     on technical considerations, and nationally, the number has 
     risen from a total of 7-35 percent of the aggregate national 
     audience, and
       Whereas, the significant relaxation of multiple broadcast 
     media ownership restrictions has led to the creation of a 
     small number of national media conglomerates, including 
     Viacom (owner of CBS), General Electric (owner of NBC), 
     Disney (owner of ABC), and Clear Channel Communications, each 
     of which owns large numbers of broadcast stations, often 
     including multiple radio stations

[[Page S6972]]

     in the same DMA in addition to national programming services, 
     and
       Whereas, this concentration in the corporate ownership of 
     commercial broadcast media, both locally and nationally, has 
     severely limited the diversity of perspectives offered on 
     important issues, and also has resulted in a significant 
     reduction in local radio news coverage, and
       Whereas, in an unusual, but nevertheless poignant, impact 
     of concentrated media ownership in a single community, public 
     safety officials in Minot, North Dakota, where all six 
     commercial radio stations are owned now by the same national 
     chain, were unable to reach anyone at the designated 
     emergency radio station when a train derailment resulted in 
     anhydrous ammonia fertilizer being released over the city, 
     and
       Whereas, until now, the existing prohibition on daily 
     newspapers owning an AM, FM, or television station whose 
     primary signal serves ``the entire community in which such 
     newspaper is published,'' 47 C.F.R. Sec. 73.3555(d), has 
     remained in place, and
       Whereas, under Sec. 212(h) of the Telecommunications Act of 
     1996, P.L. No. 104-104 as amended, the FCC is directed to 
     review biennially all of the broadcast media ownership rules, 
     and
       Whereas, there are strong indications the commission's 
     current review will result in the further relaxation of the 
     existing ownership rules, possibly allowing newspapers to 
     purchase radio or television stations in their publication 
     communities, and
       Whereas, FCC Chair, Michael Powell, has announced the newly 
     revised ownership rules will be released in final form on 
     June 2 without an opportunity for public or congressional 
     comment, and
       Whereas, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators, Olympia 
     Snowe, Republican of Maine, Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North 
     Dakota, Ernest Hollings, Democrat of South Carolina, and 
     Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, has written to 
     Chairman Powell requesting that Congress and the public be 
     afforded an opportunity to review any proposed changes before 
     they take effect, and
       Whereas, both the potential substantive changes in the 
     media ownership rules and the lack of a public comment period 
     are greatly disturbing, now therefore be it
       Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives: That 
     the General Assembly strongly urges the Federal 
     Communications Commission to refrain from relaxing further 
     the restrictions on broadcast media outlet ownership, and be 
     it further
       Resolved: That the General Assembly urges the Federal 
     Communications Commission to provide for a public comment 
     period prior to the adoption of any changes to the broadcast 
     media ownership rules, and be it further
       Resolved: That the Secretary of State be directed to send a 
     copy of this resolution to Michael Powell, Chair of the 
     Federal Communications Commission, and to each member of the 
     Vermont Congressional Delegation.

                          ____________________