The draft FCC media ownership order would “gut” the rules, possibly...

The draft FCC media ownership order would “gut” the rules, possibly without a public vote, a group opposing broadcast mergers and acquisitions said Monday. Free Press noted the commission didn’t hold public hearings on the proposed deregulation. The Media Bureau order, ending the quadrennial ownership review due in 2010 under the Telecom Act, may not be voted on at the Dec. 12 commissioner meeting if FCC members begin voting on it before then, agency officials have said (CD Nov 13 p1). A bureau spokeswoman declined to comment. The similarity of the deregulation to an order approved in 2007 under FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is “recycling the Bush administration’s failed policies,” Free Press CEO Craig Aaron said in a news release (http://xrl.us/bn2jts). “It’s baffling that the FCC is even considering rushing to vote on this warmed-over proposal.” Representatives of Free Press and the United Church of Christ met Thursday with an aide to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, to oppose allowing waivers of cross-ownership rules, so one company can hold a daily newspaper and TV station in the same market, said a filing posted Monday to docket 09-182. “The short term cost savings generated by these alleged ‘efficiencies’ have only been used to temporarily enhance profits, not” improve “local news coverage,” it said (http://xrl.us/bn2jt8).