Thursday, March 6, 2014
Consumers Union Encouraged by FCC Move to Address Media Ownership Issues
WASHINGTON – Federal Communications Commission Chairman Wheeler today announced a move to assess and encourage competition in the local broadcast marketplace. Among the proposals being considered are rules that address local television ownership, as well as maintaining a prohibition on the cross-ownership of newspapers and television stations.
Consumers Union, the policy and advocacy division of Consumer Reports, is encouraged by the agency’s move to prevent anti-competitive practices in the marketplace.
“It is in the best interest of consumers, and society as a whole, to maintain a diverse and independent media that covers a range of issues from multiple points of view. That’s why we are pleased that the FCC today proposed ways to limit consolidation within media ownership,” said Delara Derakhshani, policy counsel for Consumers Union. “Chairman Wheeler is right in saying consumers lose when broadcasters band together in retransmission negotiations. We need to be sure that consumers aren’t the casualty in a battle between broadcasters and cable operators. We look forward to sharing our comments with the Commission as they move forward in their examination of these issues.”
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Media contact: David Butler, dbutler@consumer.org, or Kara Kelber, kkelber@consumer.org,