The FCC shouldn’t revive a waiver process on common ownership of...

The FCC shouldn’t revive a waiver process on common ownership of daily newspapers and radio or TV stations in the same large markets, a foe of broadcast/paper cross ownership wrote Chairman Julius Genachowski. “Free Press is concerned about recent press reports suggesting that you are currently circulating a draft notice of proposed rulemaking that seeks to recreate the Martin Rule, or something substantially similar,” Free Press CEO Craig Aaron wrote Monday: “The Martin Rule was bad policy when it was adopted in 2007. It has not improved with age.” A draft Media Bureau notice in the quadrennial ownership review proposes adopting a waiver process for the 20 largest markets that’s similar to one the FCC approved under then-Chairman Kevin Martin but which was remanded this year by an appeals court (CD Nov 9 p1). “Such action is not supported by any credible marketplace evidence or the agency record,” Aaron wrote of the possibility of reviving the waiver process (http://xrl.us/bmjp8c). “It is certainly not supported by the public.” A bureau spokeswoman declined to comment.