FCC's O'Rielly Again Calls For Ownership Rules Overhaul, Denies It's Because Of Sinclair-Tribune Deal

Wants Change

FCC Commissioner MICHAEL O'RIELLY posted another blog item FRIDAY (10/20) reiterating his support for Chairman AJIT PAI's initiative to eliminate more rules from the books, asking broadcasters, cable operators, and others to suggest rules that can be modified or eliminated, and calling for an overhaul of media ownership rules while denying that the SINCLAIR-TRIBUNE merger controversy is why media ownership rule changes are back on the agenda.

"As many people, especially the Chairman, have properly articulated," O'RIELLY wrote, "it is time to update our rules to reflect the current media marketplace.  In that vein, it is long overdue for the Commission to properly and sufficiently reconsider its media ownership rules.  For nearly a decade now, the Commission has failed to adequately complete the statutorily-mandated Quadrennial Review of its media ownership rules.  As a reminder, this is not optional....Many of the Commission’s media ownership rules, written from a bygone era, are not serving the public interest, but frustrating it.  The competitive and diverse atmosphere we find ourselves in today warrants less regulation, not more.  It is time we fulfilled not only a congressional mandate but the congressional intent of keeping our rules current.  And this can and should be done thoughtfully, consistent with the fundamental propositions of localism, diversity, and competition.  We owe this not only to our broadcasting industry but more importantly, to the American people, who are paying for -- in one form or another -- market inefficiencies resulting from our rules."

O'RIELLY repeated the principles he outlined last year for changing the ownership rules, including redefining markets by including "MVPDs, over-the-top providers, Internet sites, social media platforms, streaming music services, and satellite radio"; eliminating cross-ownership bans and duopoly rules; rejecting additional restrictions (with praise for PAI's reinstatement of the UHF discount); and expanding the review to reach beyond the changes made in the last Quadrennial review.

But as for "the elephant in the room" -- the SINCLAIR-TRIBUNE merger -- O'RIELLY wrote that "this transaction is in no way the catalyst for FCC action on these issues," citing the Commission's requirement to review the rules and "finally" having a Chairman receptive to changes.

Read the post here.

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