Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Senate Overturns FCC Ruling

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:22:08 -0400

Senate Defies Bush, Overturns FCC Ruling
9/15/03
		
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Republican-led U.S. Senate on Tuesday defied 
Bush administration opposition and voted to rescind new regulations 
allowing large media companies to grow even bigger.

  The Senate approved, 55-40, a resolution that would roll back the 
Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) rules allowing 
television networks to own more local stations and permitting 
conglomerates to own a newspaper, television stations and radio outlets 
in a single market.

The measure faces a tougher battle in the U.S. House of Representatives 
and a threat of a veto by President Bush (news - web sites) if it 
reaches his desk.

The Republican-led FCC (news - web sites) narrowly adopted the new rules 
in June, which would allow television networks to own local stations 
that collectively reach 45 percent of the national audience, up from 35 
percent.

The new rules permit one company to own a newspaper, a television 
station and several radio stations in a single market, lifting a 
decades-old ban on cross-ownership. A company would also be permitted to 
own two local television stations in more local markets.

The regulations were drawn up under the leadership of FCC Chairman 
Michael Powell, who argued the relaxed limits were necessary to reflect 
the proliferation of cable, satellite television and the Internet 
offerings as well as preserve over-the-air broadcast television.

Television networks like Viacom Inc.'s CBS and News Corp.'s Fox 
contended they need to acquire more local stations to better compete 
against cable and satellite television services.

Critics, ranging from the National Rifle Association to Consumers Union 
as well as Democrats and Republicans in Congress, charged that the rules 
would narrow the choices of viewpoints and cut local news coverage.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20030916/ts_nm/media_congress_dc_5

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