[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 163 (Tuesday, November 11, 2003)]
[Senate]
[Page S14447]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AND DIMINISHING INDEPENDENT CONTENT

  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in June of this year, the Federal 
Communications Commission issued a decision relaxing a number of 
important rules that limit consolidation in the media industry. In the 
months leading up to that decision, and ever since, a bipartisan group 
of Senators has sought to sound the alarm about the dangers of 
unbridled media concentration. Those efforts eventually led to Senate 
passage of a resolution to reverse the commission's decision. But the 
battle continues, and the outcome is uncertain,
  Most of the debate on this subject has focused on the details of 
rules limiting the national reach of broadcasters and the local cross-
ownership of television, newspaper, and radio stations. But I would 
like to call attention to another important dimension of media 
concentration: the demise of independent producers, who are being 
bought up or driven out of business by the big networks and big 
studios.
  More and more, the television programming delivered to the homes of 
American families is controlled by a handful of executives in a handful 
of corporate boardrooms. Independent writers and producers are growing 
scarce. Indeed, there soon may be only two remaining independent 
Hollywood studies that produce scripted television programming. The 
others have either disappeared or linked up with one of the major 
networks.
  I think that having all programming produced by a few large media 
conglomerates could pose some real risks for creativity and diversity. 
That is why I would like to commend my colleague from Arizona, Commerce 
Committee Chairman John McCain, for his leadership in agreeing to 
cohost a dialogue with Chairman Billy Tauzin of the House Energy and 
Commerce Committee and representatives of studios, networks, writers, 
and producers.
  I am confident that under the direction of Chairman McCain, this 
dialogue can produce positive discussion and concrete results, such as 
voluntary guidelines to help ensure diversity, competition, and 
opportunity in the market for television programming. I look forward to 
participating.

                          ____________________