Chicago Picked for Fifth FCC Media Ownership Hearing
The Federal Communications Commission will hold its fifth hearing on media ownership in Chicago on Sept. 20. At the previous ownership hearings in Los Angeles, Nashville, Harrisburg, Pa. and Tampa, Fla., the public overwhelmingly opposed media consolidation and urged the FCC to uphold cross-ownership rules.
In Chicago, media cross-ownership is a hot topic as the FCC considers whether to allow Sam Zell, the new owner of Tribune Co., to own both the Chicago Tribune as well as WGN-TV and WGN-AM. When the cross-ownership ban was instituted in 1975, the FCC “grandfathered” the Tribune’s ownership of these outlets.
Tribune also operates both TV stations and newspapers in New York, Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Hartford, Conn., under “temporary” FCC waivers issued in 2000. But neither the waivers nor the grandfather protections apply to the new owner.
The FCC should expect to hear strong opinion from Chicago residents on the Tribune cross-ownership, along with issues of media diversity.
Stay tuned for more information on the Chicago hearing at www.stopbigmedia.com/=chicago.
