Report: FCC Mulls Loosening Cross-Ownership But Leaving Ownership Caps In Place

Mulling Changes

BROADCASTING AND CABLE's JOHN EGGERTON reported late FRIDAY that FCC Chairman JULIUS GENACHOWSKI is circulating a rulemaking proposal that would allow newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership in some markets while leaving local ownership caps in place.

The proposal, which falls short of a total lifting of the ban, is basically the same as the loosening of cross-ownership that the Commission tried to implement under former Chairman KEVIN MARTIN in 2006, making cross-ownership allowed in the top 20 markets and including a four-part test that considers how the cross-ownership would affect the amount of local news in the market, whether each outlet would exercise independent editorial judgement, ownership concentration in the market, and the outlets' financial conditions.  

The MARTIN plan was remanded by the Third Circuit Court of Appeals due to the court having problems with the amount of time allowed for public comment.

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