Press Release
Tampa Speaks Out for Local Media, Against Consolidation
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
TAMPA, Fla. - More than 300 people attended the fourth official Federal Communications Commission hearing today at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center to speak out against media consolidation. Hours before the event started, local residents were arriving by the dozens, eager to sign up for their chance to testify.
"I am here to demand that the FCC not just stop the consolidation of media ownership, but expand and protect the truly local media we need to survive," said Gerardo Reyes Chavez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the farmworkers organization that runs the low power radio station Radio Consciencia.
The FCC is currently reviewing longstanding media ownership rules governing how many newspapers, radio stations and television stations one company can own in a local market. Media executives claim that lifting ownership limits would help companies compete on new media platforms -- an argument blasted by Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein in his opening remarks.
"It is wrong to blame ownership rules -- intended to protect the public interest -- as the reason for failing to develop profitable business models on new platforms," said Commissioner Adelstein. "Repurposing one local newspaper story on the radio and TV does very little for quality journalism -- and it harms small business competitors, the backbone of the American economy."
"Let's make sure that all that new digital capacity we're giving broadcasters returns something positive for our communities, local talent and civic issues coverage," said Commissioner Michael Copps. "If your local broadcaster can multi-cast half-a-dozen program streams, is it too much to expect that some good portion of that be used to enhance localism and diversity?"
The FCC comes to Tampa partly because of Media General's "convergence project" which combines the operations of its TV station, newspaper and online hub under one roof. At today's hearing, scholars and small business owners outlined the harmful impact of convergence on quality local journalism, competition and diversity.
"When media companies converge operations, managers urge or even require staffers to spend less time reporting and more time on television," said panelist Eric Klinenberg, author of Fighting for Air and associate professor of sociology at New York University. "With cross-ownership, citizens are exposed to fewer perspectives than when TV stations and newspapers are separately owned."
"My newspaper now faces competition from Centro Mi Diario, a Spanish language publication started by Media General a year ago," said Patrick Manteiga, owner of La Gaceta, a small, family-owned, trilingual newspaper. "But I am not competing against Centro; I am competing against the unlimited resources of the Tampa Tribune, WFLA-TV and TBO.com. This kind of competition is meant to put us -- and all the other independent Spanish newspapers -- out of business by cutting off our revenue and separating us from our communities."
Following the first panel, the five commissioners listened to citizen concerns about the quality of local news and programming, lack of diversity over the airwaves and the barriers placed on independent content and local control by Big Media corporations.
"To keep up with the need for ever-expanding profits, and with no real competition, dailies like the Sarasota Herald Tribune cut corners by outsourcing much of their local news coverage to freelancers like myself," testified Brandy Doyle, a reporter at the New York Times Co.-owned paper. "And with more consolidation, it's only going to get worse."
A broad-based coalition of local and national groups worked to turn out the public to the Tampa event. They included the Communications Workers of America, Common Cause Florida, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Free Press, Florida AFL-CIO, Florida PIRG, Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, The Newspaper Guild, Prometheus Radio Project, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Tampa Bay Community Network, The Tampa Education Channel, United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., and U.S. PIRG.
"There's been a lot of local buzz about this hearing," said second-generation Tampa native Lucy Griggs. "This is a rare public opportunity to talk about our media. People are really excited to be able to participate in our democracy at a national level."
To read more about the official FCC public hearing in Tampa, visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=tampa
"I am here to demand that the FCC not just stop the consolidation of media ownership, but expand and protect the truly local media we need to survive," said Gerardo Reyes Chavez of the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, the farmworkers organization that runs the low power radio station Radio Consciencia.
The FCC is currently reviewing longstanding media ownership rules governing how many newspapers, radio stations and television stations one company can own in a local market. Media executives claim that lifting ownership limits would help companies compete on new media platforms -- an argument blasted by Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein in his opening remarks.
"It is wrong to blame ownership rules -- intended to protect the public interest -- as the reason for failing to develop profitable business models on new platforms," said Commissioner Adelstein. "Repurposing one local newspaper story on the radio and TV does very little for quality journalism -- and it harms small business competitors, the backbone of the American economy."
"Let's make sure that all that new digital capacity we're giving broadcasters returns something positive for our communities, local talent and civic issues coverage," said Commissioner Michael Copps. "If your local broadcaster can multi-cast half-a-dozen program streams, is it too much to expect that some good portion of that be used to enhance localism and diversity?"
The FCC comes to Tampa partly because of Media General's "convergence project" which combines the operations of its TV station, newspaper and online hub under one roof. At today's hearing, scholars and small business owners outlined the harmful impact of convergence on quality local journalism, competition and diversity.
"When media companies converge operations, managers urge or even require staffers to spend less time reporting and more time on television," said panelist Eric Klinenberg, author of Fighting for Air and associate professor of sociology at New York University. "With cross-ownership, citizens are exposed to fewer perspectives than when TV stations and newspapers are separately owned."
"My newspaper now faces competition from Centro Mi Diario, a Spanish language publication started by Media General a year ago," said Patrick Manteiga, owner of La Gaceta, a small, family-owned, trilingual newspaper. "But I am not competing against Centro; I am competing against the unlimited resources of the Tampa Tribune, WFLA-TV and TBO.com. This kind of competition is meant to put us -- and all the other independent Spanish newspapers -- out of business by cutting off our revenue and separating us from our communities."
Following the first panel, the five commissioners listened to citizen concerns about the quality of local news and programming, lack of diversity over the airwaves and the barriers placed on independent content and local control by Big Media corporations.
"To keep up with the need for ever-expanding profits, and with no real competition, dailies like the Sarasota Herald Tribune cut corners by outsourcing much of their local news coverage to freelancers like myself," testified Brandy Doyle, a reporter at the New York Times Co.-owned paper. "And with more consolidation, it's only going to get worse."
A broad-based coalition of local and national groups worked to turn out the public to the Tampa event. They included the Communications Workers of America, Common Cause Florida, Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union, Free Press, Florida AFL-CIO, Florida PIRG, Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, The Newspaper Guild, Prometheus Radio Project, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, Tampa Bay Community Network, The Tampa Education Channel, United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., and U.S. PIRG.
"There's been a lot of local buzz about this hearing," said second-generation Tampa native Lucy Griggs. "This is a rare public opportunity to talk about our media. People are really excited to be able to participate in our democracy at a national level."
To read more about the official FCC public hearing in Tampa, visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=tampa
