A spectrum of opinions is likely in the FCC...

A spectrum of opinions is likely in the FCC proceeding on a study on the impact of cross-ownership of broadcast stations owned by minorities and women, a broadcast attorney said. The FCC is seeking comments on the study commissioned by the Minority Media & Telecommunications Council (CD June 11 p21). The agency needs to wait for public comment on the findings “before any decisions in the ownership proceeding are made,” said Wilkinson Barker’s David Oxenford on his blog (http://bit.ly/ZJO1Y2). The MMTC-commissioned report by BIA/Kelsey found there was little evidence of such cross-ownership as being the cause of financial concerns, he said. Already citizens groups, like Free Press, “have come out with comments challenging the conclusions reached by the study,” wrote Oxenford. It seems that there will always be those who object to any sort of consolidation, “even between newspapers struggling to maintain their place in the media mix in many markets and broadcasters,” he said. With the continued controversy and the possibility that the decision will be pushed aside until the next quadrennial review, the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule may outlive the newspaper industry itself, he added.