Press Release
Martin Evades Tough Questions on Media Ownership
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON – The Senate Commerce Committee grilled all five members of the Federal Communications Commission on the issue of media ownership at an oversight hearing today.
"Despite intense opposition from members of both parties, Chairman Martin still hasn't answered why unchecked media consolidation is good for the American people -- or why he's in such a hurry," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "With the big giveaway to Tribune out of the way, and issues of media diversity and localism left unaddressed, Martin simply cannot justify his rush to gut media ownership rules by Dec. 18."
Watch the Commerce Committee hearing: rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/commerce121307.rm
In a Nov. 13 New York Times op-ed, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin proposed lifting the longstanding ban on one company owning both the daily newspaper and a radio or TV station in the same market by the end of the year.
At today's hearing, senators from both sides of the aisle voiced their opposition to Martin's Dec. 18 timetable. They also expressed grave concerns with the FCC's lack of transparency, failure to address concerns of localism and diversity, supressed research and shady public comment process.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said the Senate should not approve any further appointments to the FCC until Congress can rewrite its rules governing the agency and the way it conducts its business. Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) agreed to take up the matter in 2008.
Chairman Inouye also remarked that he had never seen a committee hearing so well attended, calling the level of participation and interest in the event "historic."
Last week, the Commerce Committee passed the bipartisan Media Ownership Act of 2007 (S. 2332) — a bill that would direct the FCC to conduct a separate proceeding on localism and create an independent minority and female ownership task force before moving forward with any changes to media ownership limits.
The heated dialogue between senators and Martin reflected the deep frustration not only with the proposal but with the overall way the chairman has presided over the agency charged with protecting the public interest.
"Martin's continued evasion and double-speak on the critical issue of media ownership is an insult to the 99 percent of the public who have spoken out against letting Big Media get even bigger," said Scott. "This broken and corrupt process has been a sham -- and Congress has had enough."
"Despite intense opposition from members of both parties, Chairman Martin still hasn't answered why unchecked media consolidation is good for the American people -- or why he's in such a hurry," said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. "With the big giveaway to Tribune out of the way, and issues of media diversity and localism left unaddressed, Martin simply cannot justify his rush to gut media ownership rules by Dec. 18."
Watch the Commerce Committee hearing: rtsp://video.webcastcenter.com/srs_g2/commerce121307.rm
In a Nov. 13 New York Times op-ed, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin proposed lifting the longstanding ban on one company owning both the daily newspaper and a radio or TV station in the same market by the end of the year.
At today's hearing, senators from both sides of the aisle voiced their opposition to Martin's Dec. 18 timetable. They also expressed grave concerns with the FCC's lack of transparency, failure to address concerns of localism and diversity, supressed research and shady public comment process.
Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) said the Senate should not approve any further appointments to the FCC until Congress can rewrite its rules governing the agency and the way it conducts its business. Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) agreed to take up the matter in 2008.
Chairman Inouye also remarked that he had never seen a committee hearing so well attended, calling the level of participation and interest in the event "historic."
Last week, the Commerce Committee passed the bipartisan Media Ownership Act of 2007 (S. 2332) — a bill that would direct the FCC to conduct a separate proceeding on localism and create an independent minority and female ownership task force before moving forward with any changes to media ownership limits.
The heated dialogue between senators and Martin reflected the deep frustration not only with the proposal but with the overall way the chairman has presided over the agency charged with protecting the public interest.
"Martin's continued evasion and double-speak on the critical issue of media ownership is an insult to the 99 percent of the public who have spoken out against letting Big Media get even bigger," said Scott. "This broken and corrupt process has been a sham -- and Congress has had enough."
