NAB Files Comments On FCC Ownership Studies

The NAB filed its comments on the 10 research studies incorporated in the FCC's ownership rules review MONDAY (10/22), saying, "the Commission’s studies generally demonstrate the lack of harm, and, indeed, the benefits that would be gained, from allowing local broadcasters to adopt more economically viable ownership structures. In particular, the various studies show that the cross-ownership of broadcast stations with newspapers, and the common ownership of broadcast stations in the same market, promote the Commission’s traditional goals of competition, diversity and localism and serve the public interest. The public interest benefits derived from common ownership specifically include, inter alia, the offering of greater amounts of news programming, including local news. In light of such demonstrated benefits, the Commission should act promptly to complete the statutorily-mandated quadrennial review of the broadcast-only local ownership restrictions, and reform those rules to serve the public interest in light of competition."

The filing also asserted, "The real threat today to locally-oriented services, including costly services such as local news, is not the joint ownership of broadcast stations (which the Commission’s studies show promotes such services), but the stations’ continuing challenge to maintain their economic vibrancy in the face of multichannel and other competitors that are not constrained by restrictions on local ownership structure." The NAB added that the Commission needs to use "public/private partnerships and market-based stimulants, including tax incentives" to encourage minority and female ownership of media outlets.

Read the entire filing by clicking here.

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