With Loophole, Papers Can Own TV Stations of any Size
Fact No. 3: Loopholes allow newspapers to own TV stations of any size
On its face, Martin’s proposal to abolish cross-ownership in the top 20 markets would also prohibit a company that owns a newspaper from buying one of the four top-rated stations in the same market. But the same vague standards that would allow cross-ownership outside the top 20 markets could also permit combinations that include any station in a market.
Companies looking to combine would only need to obtain a waiver from the FCC Again, the standards are so lax that almost any combination could be approved by a willing FCC. Instead of allowing just smaller stations to merge, a company that can meet the same vague requirements could apply for a waiver to own the major daily newspaper and the top-rated station in nearly every market.
Here’s a chart that shows how the waivers would work:
Over the next two weeks at StopBigMedia.com, we’ll be counting down the “10 Facts Kevin Martin Doesn’t Want You to Know” about his new media ownership rules, as exposed in our new report — Devil in the Details.
Next: FCC history shows weak standards won’t protect the public
