”Holistic” FCC review of media ownership rules is the way...

"Holistic” FCC review of media ownership rules is the way to go, Chairman Julius Genachowski wrote House Communications Subcommittee Chairman Rick Boucher, D-Va., and ranking member Cliff Stearns, R-Fla. The legislators had written him March 1 asking that the 2010 quadrennial ownership review be separated from consideration of cross-ownership of a radio or TV station and daily newspaper in the same market, so evaluation of the latter area could proceed quickly. Commission staff “made a strong case that local broadcast ownership rules are interrelated,” Genachowski said in a May 10 letter recently made public by the agency, at http://xrl.us/bhmmr7. He understands their concern “about the delays in addressing” the cross-ownership rules, Genachowski wrote: He’s confident the broad review “can craft an ownership regulatory regime that will address the evolving media landscape and resist weaknesses that marred previous reviews.” A notice of inquiry to start the 2010 review, which may not conclude until early next year, is on circulation and expected to be approved soon (CD May 18 p4).