UCC opposes move by FCC to consolidate media, lack of public input
Written by staff reports Oct 31, 2007 12:00 AM EDT
As the Federal Communications Commission conducts its final hearing on the subject of localism on Oct. 31, the United Church of Christ's media justice agency is decrying attempts by the FCC to allow greater consolidation of media and the lack of public participation in the process.
"Not only does it seem that Chairman Kevin J. Martin is going to allow the media to consolidate further, but he is doing it as part of a flawed process," said Cheryl Leanza, managing director of UCC's Office of Communication, Inc. (OC, Inc.) "The FCC was supposed to create a solid factual record, but instead the facts and data is flawed and has come at the last minute with little opportunity for analysis."
The hearing in Washington, D.C., is part of a series of FCC hearings intended to gather information about the state of media ownership and local media markets. However, the FCC did not confirm the date, time and location of the hearing until one week ago.
Similarly, the FCC did not announce the locations of hearings held earlier in Chicago; Portland, Maine; Tampa, Fla.; and Harrisburg, Pa., until about two weeks before each meeting.
OC Inc. also filed comments last week with the FCC, arguing that studies produced by the FCC do not address important issues, such as the diversity of media ownership.
Angela Campbell of Georgetown University Law Center, who represented the UCC before the FCC, said, "To the degree there is any relevant data, they show that deregulation would make it even harder for people of color and women to buy radio and TV stations. This only makes sense ? fewer owners means fewer women owners and fewer owners of color."
The FCC gave the public less than a month to study the full underlying data used in 10 studies that comprised 700 pages of analysis.
In addition to the poor data, the FCC's process for including the general public was designed to minimize, not maximize, participation by ordinary Americans.
"The members of the UCC and other faith communities should not have to call their lives to a halt on a moment's notice to participate in civic discourse." said Leanza.
The Rev. J. Bennett Guess, OC Inc.'s acting executive director, said the FCC's flawed process is leaving out the concerns of ordinary citizens.
"Church members communicate with each other on Sundays, so the limited notice meant we could not inform our members easily," Guess said. "People with work commitments, family responsibilities, and community obligations are not on the same time table as corporations and trade associations whose only concern is media regulation, and thus can rearrange their schedules at will."