Senator Menendez Reacts To FCC Vote To Allow Media Conglomerates To Become More Powerful

By newsdesk - Posted on December 20th, 2007

Menendez, a strong advocate for diversity of voices in the media, is part of group vowing to seek legislation to overturn hasty ruling

December 19, 2007 -- Washington, D.C. – Despite intense congressional pressure, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) yesterday ruled in a 3-2 partisan vote to allow consolidation of local media ownership in the nation’s largest cities. U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) has been a leader in requesting a postponement of the vote until the pressing issues of localism and diversity are fully discussed and addressed by the FCC. The new proposal would relax media ownership rules that currently ban a single company from owning a major newspaper and broadcast outlet in the same city within the 20 largest media markets—including the 2 media markets that cover New Jersey (New York City and Philadelphia).

“More and more, the information we get is coming from fewer and fewer media companies, which means we are hearing fewer, less diverse viewpoints,” said Senator Menendez. “These new rules only serve to line the pockets of large media conglomerates at the expense of drowning out the voices of independent and minority outlets. I am committed to working with my colleagues in Congress to overturn this rule, especially knowing that in this diverse nation only 8% of all local radio stations and 3% of all local TV stations are owned by minorities.”

Senator Menendez wrote a letter to the FCC in September (Menendez.senate.gov/pdf/092007lettertoFCC.pdf) asking it to delay any changes to media ownership rules until it establishes a panel on increasing minority ownership. More recently, the Senator signed a bipartisan letter written by Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) to FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin warning that if action is taken on this rule before allowing enough time for public comment, that the Senate will move legislation to revoke and nullify the proposed rule (Menendez.senate.gov/pdf/121407lettertoFCC.pdf).

Senator Menendez has also co-sponsored the Media Ownership Act of 2007, which would require the FCC to establish an independent panel to increase the representation of women and minorities in broadcast media ownership and to act on the panel’s recommendation before voting on any changes related to its broadcast and newspaper ownership rules.

Source: Senator Robert Menendez

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