Common Cause doesn’t like the prospect of the FCC relying on an outside...

Common Cause doesn’t like the prospect of the FCC relying on an outside group’s study of the impact of a draft order’s media ownership rule changes on minorities and women. The agency Tuesday paused a proceeding on some cross-ownership deregulation pending the study by BIA/Kelsey paid for by the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council (CD Feb 27 p1). The FCC “should take the time necessary to conduct careful, independent research on how proposals to relax its rules on media consolidation would impact levels of broadcast ownership by women, African-Americans and other minorities,” Common Cause said in a news release Wednesday. Common Cause Special Adviser Michael Copps, a former FCC member who is an opponent of media mergers and acquisitions, is “troubled by the process” the commission is following, he said. BIA/Kelsey “has longstanding ties to the industry,” Copps said of the broadcast research firm. “The FCC itself should be driving the research process, setting the parameters and teeing up the questions needed to satisfy anti-discrimination requirements set by the courts and guarantee an independent and data-driven outcome.” But it’s MMTC, not broadcasters, that’s paying for the study, the council’s executive director, David Honig, told us of the concerns of groups opposing media M&A.