On October 22, Charlotte will be the first stop as the Federal Communications Commission takes its act on the road to get public opinion about how radio and TV stations are presenting local issues to the public – and, more significantly, to hear feedback on the recent rules change that has stirred national debate about corporate wnership of multiple edia outlets.
The FCC, and its chairman, Michael Powell in particular, has been criticized for easing rules in June that permit media conglomerates to own more local stations, reaching up to 45 percent of the national audience, up from 35 percent. The agency also agreed to allow a company to own a newspaper, television station and some radio outlets in a single market. Since then, citizens and organizations ranging from NOW to the NRA have complained to the agency, and action to rollback the new rules is moving through Congress. The public hearings also coincide with radio and TV station license renewals.
“Charlotte can expect a lot of activists and lots of national media coverage'” predicts Josh Silver, the managing director of Free Press, a national non-profit media reform organization. “Three million Americans have signed petitions against this move (the June rule changes).”
“We’re very excited,” says Doris Boris of the city’s Cable TV office. She offered the city as a venue during a national telecommunications industry board meeting recently, and expects a majority of the FCC commissioners, including chairman Michael Powell, to be present.
The FCC public hearing will be from 6-9pm at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center on October 22. It is open to all, but get there early.
This article appears in Oct 1-7, 2003.
