It is done. After 20 months of study, discussions, and, occasionally, public hearings, the Federal Communications Commission has announced new rules for media ownership.
Here's a quick matrix of the FCC's decisions:
| Old rule |
What's changed |
Companies may not own broadcast and print organizations in the same market.
|
Cross ownership rules restrictions lifted in areas with nine or more television stations, which are the largest markets; other markets would face some limits; cross ownership banned in markets with three or fewer TV stations. |
| No broadcast company can own stations that reach more than 35 percent of the national audience. |
The plan would allow the nation's four national television networks and other group owners to buy enough television stations to reach 45 percent of the national audience. The networks had sought total repeal, but the change at the very least ensures that News Corp. Inc.'s (NWS) Fox network and Viacom Inc.'s (VIA) CBS network, which currently reach nearly 40 percent of the audience, won't have to sell stations.
|
Companies can only own two stations in one market if they are not large stations, and there are eight other competitors.
|
Broadcasters will be allowed to own three stations in the biggest markets where there are 18 stations, such as Los Angeles, up from two; companies could add a second channel in smaller in markets where there are at least five stations, as long as one is not in the top four, based on ratings. |
A company may not own two of the top four broadcast stations in a market.
|
No change. The FCC bars a broadcaster from owning two of the top four rated stations in any market. Those four are usually the affiliates of the major networks -- Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC. |
| Companies are limited in radio station ownership. |
No change to current rule; new constraints as the agency imposes new market definitions to avoid monopolies that have sprung up in some markets. But these monopoly clusters won't be broken up unless the clusters are sold.
|
No mergers between the top four networks.
|
No change; mergers prohibited among top four networks: ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox |
Compiled from various news sources.
This article is excellent, clearly explained, but is quite outdated....
