Click Here to Go Directly to the Story

 
 


U.S. EDITION
Full Table of Contents
 Cover Story
Up Front
Readers Report
Technology & You
Books
Economic Viewpoint
Industry Insider
Business Outlook
News: Analysis & Commentary
In Business This Week



Washington Outlook
International Business
International Outlook
Social Issues
Developments to Watch
Science & Technology
Sports Business
Media
Legal Affairs
Government
People
The Corporation
Finance
Industrial Management
BusinessWeek Investor
Dividends
The Barker Portfolio
Inside Wall Street
Figures of the Week
Editorials


INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS
International -- Readers Report
International -- Asian Business
International -- Finance
International -- Int'l Figures of the Week


MARCH 3, 2003

MEDIA
Back to Main Story

Media Owners Unbound

 
  STORY TOOLS
Printer-Friendly Version
E-Mail This Story

Hearings are under way to air possible changes in the FCC's restrictions on media companies. Here's what the FCC might consider, and what the critics say:

TV STATIONS
THE IDEA Lift the cap prohibiting a company from owning TV stations that reach over 35% of U.S. TV homes
CRITIQUE: Giants such as Viacom and Disney would have too much power over too many media markets

CABLE SYSTEMS
THE IDEA Allow a cable company to own systems that serve over 30% of the nation's pay-TV subscribers
CRITIQUE: A single operator would wield enormous clout over what channels get carried and what position the channels get

CABLE/BROADCAST OWNERSHIP
THE IDEA Allow a company to own both a broadcast network and a cable operator
CRITIQUE: Would give too much control over content and distribution to a single entity, which could impose a single viewpoint

NEWSPAPER/TV/RADIO OWNERSHIP
THE IDEA Permit a newspaper company to own TV and radio stations in the same market where it publishes
CRITIQUE: Independent voices in cities could be snuffed out by consolidated ownership of news outlets

SAME-MARKET TV OWNERSHIP
THE IDEA Allow a company to own two TV stations in the same market with no restrictions
CRITIQUE: Would result in too few voices in the medium that most people use to get their news

RADIO OWNERSHIP
THE IDEA Permit a company to own more than eight radio stations in a market
CRITIQUE: A giant such as Clear Channel, which already dominates the medium, could become even more powerful



Get BusinessWeek directly on your desktop with our RSS feeds.XML

Add BusinessWeek news to your Web site with our headline feed.

Click to buy an e-print or reprint of a BusinessWeek or BusinessWeek Online story or video.

To subscribe online to BusinessWeek magazine, please click here.

Learn more, go to the BusinessWeekOnline home page
Back to Top

MARCH
 [an error occurred while processing this directive]


Copyright 2003, Bloomberg L.P.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy

Media Kit | Special Sections | MarketPlace | Knowledge Centers
Bloomberg L.P.