Spring 2017 |
UHF Discount Restored |
Variety April 20, 2017 |
Democrat FCC Commissioner Clyburn “showed a chart from Bloomberg showing how major station groups benefit from the discount. The largest, ION Media, reaches 33.7% of the country with the discount, but 65.2% without. Univision reaches 23.6% with the discount, but 44.8% without. When the discount was repealed last summer, station groups were allowed to retain their existing holdings, but they would be forced to divest assets in the event of a merger or corporate takeover.” |
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Spring 2017 |
UHF Discount Restored |
The Verge April 20, 2017 |
"In a divided vote today, the Federal Communications Commission took steps that could lead to more consolidation among TV broadcasters, reducing the number of sources of local news."
"Reinstating the UHF discount might allow for more expansion — it allows for twice as much household reach by UHF stations — but it’s not clear that it would be enough to enable big mergers. Some Democrats suspect it will."
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Oct 2017 |
Main Studio Rule Eliminated |
Washington Post OpEd by Newsmax Editor Oct 23, 2017 |
Just weeks after that decision, Pai's FCC proposed another rule change that is set to be put to a vote Tuesday: eliminating the requirement that TV stations maintain local studios in the markets where they are licensed. If this requirement is dropped, local news production could be moved to places such as New York and Washington as the big networks buy up local stations.
Pai's decisions fly in the face of the FCC's core mission to ensure that broadcasters using the public airwaves adhere to the principles of locality, diversity and competition. A bipartisan consensus has long supported these three principles.
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Oct 2017 |
Main Studio Rule Eliminated |
Broadcasting & Cable Oct 24, 2017 |
A politically divided FCC has voted to eliminate the main studio rule. The vote was 3-2 with the two Democrats strongly dissenting.
That was the almost eight-decade old requirement that broadcasters, radio and TV, maintain a main studio in or near their community of license.
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Oct 2017 |
Main Studio Rule Eliminated |
Broadcasting & Cable Oct 24, 2017 |
Democrat Mignon Clyburn dissented “’Today is a solemn one, in the history of television and radio broadcasting. By eliminating the main studio rule in its entirety for all broadcast stations — regardless of size or location – the FCC signals that it no longer believes, those awarded a license to use the public airwaves, should have a local presence in their community,’ She said of her dissent. She also said a toll free number didn't cut it.” |
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Oct 2017 |
Main Studio Rule Eliminated |
Broadcasting & Cable Oct 24, 2017 |
Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel “suggested that broadcasters role as first responders in time of crisis depended on their having a local presence. She said the decision would ‘hollow out’ the unique role broadcasters play, and said it would have been better to have a waiver policy for the rule.” |
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Oct 2017 |
77-year-old Main Studio Rule Eliminated |
The Intercept Oct 25, 2017 |
An industry trade group MMTC said we don’t need local news, “But the group also argued that local journalism can be replaced by ordinary citizens using social media. “It has become increasingly apparent that every smartphone user is potentially a ‘broadcast journalist,'” the MMTC filing claims.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened: Deregulatory Blitz Part 1 |
Free Press.net Oct 27 2017 |
“Right now, in most TV markets, one company can’t own multiple TV stations unless there are eight independent voices. Pai would eliminate that restriction, opening the door to one company like Sinclair controlling two, three, four or more stations in a single market.”
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Lossened: Deregulatory Blitz Part 2 |
Free Press.net Oct 27 2017 |
“Another rule on the books stops one company from controlling more than one of the top-four highest-rated stations in a given market, which are usually the affiliates of ABC, CBS, NBC and FOX. While Pai isn’t erasing this rule, he wants to waive it on a “case-by-case” basis.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened: Deregulatory Blitz Part 3 |
Free Press.net Oct 27 2017 |
“Another case in point is Pai’s decision in the new order to bless the deals known as joint-sales agreements, or JSAs, which allow a company to run the news-and-business operations of a competing station. These sketchy arrangements are a (you guessed it) Sinclair specialty, designed to evade the existing FCC rules and give powerful companies even more dominance over local markets. Pai claims this covert consolidation — which allows shell companies to simulcast the same newscasts on multiple channels — is in the public interest.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened: Deregulatory Blitz Part 4 |
Free Press.net Oct 27 2017 |
“Finally, Pai’s industry-written wish list includes scrapping the longstanding ban on a company owning a daily newspaper, radio station and TV station in the same market. This rule was instituted to prevent the creation of “one newsroom” towns, with all of the major outlets under the same roof. This kind of arrangement might cut costs — but it would unquestionably diminish the range of voices needed to inform the public.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened: Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
Free Press.net Oct 27 2017 |
“While Pai’s presented this change as a Hail Mary for the struggling newspaper industry, we know how this story ends. History shows that every time we open the door to more consolidation, we get fewer journalists on the beat, less locally produced content, and more lobbyists promising the next wave of consolidation will be different.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened: Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
Sacramento Bee Nov 7 2017 |
“It’s exactly what’s happened with radio. Back in the day when lots of companies owned 40 radio stations, the broadcast industry made big promises that local information would be much more diverse if they could simply own many more stations. The 1996 Telecommunications Act resulted in a handful of corporations owning thousands of stations – and force feeding conservative programming down our country’s throats ever since, no debate, no opposing opinions allowed.
“The Media Action Center showed during the Scott Walker recall in Wisconsin that ‘conservative’ radio giants there gave millions of dollars in free airtime to the GOP candidate – while refusing to allow a single Democrat on the air at all. GOP operatives there still gloat about radio winning elections for them. After 21 years of this kind of divisive public policy, 60 million people listen to conservative radio, about the same number that voted for Donald Trump.”
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
Slate Nov 9 2017 |
“Pai says he still wants to prevent a company from owning more than two TV stations in a given market, which an FCC rule essentially prohibits right now. But he argues in the Times that its sibling rule, which separates TV, newspaper, and radio ownership, has become archaic, even though it was similarly designed to prevent one company from having too much control over available media in a single market. Perhaps especially an ideologically motivated one on a buying spree, like, oh, Sinclair.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Ajit Pai’s Opinion |
New York Times Nov 9 2017 |
Ajit Pai: “Do you check your Twitter feed to get the latest news? Monitor trending topics on your Facebook page to see what’s making headlines? Set news alerts on Google News? Read blogs analyzing the latest at the White House? Watch breaking news on cable networks or YouTube channels?” |
Twitter facebook and youtube all link to news, they don’t report news |
Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
Slate Nov 9 2017 |
“Ownership really, really does matter. Since GOP megadonor Sheldon Adelson bought the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the newspaper has reportedly regularly killed or watered down stories that are critical of the casino and real estate tycoon’s dealings. Pai argues that it’s hypocritical that Google or Facebook are allowed to own a local newspaper, should they want to buy one (both companies, after all, go through great lengths to argue that they are not media companies), but a local broadcaster isn’t. Perhaps he’s right on that point, but the solution to that issue should be safeguards that ensure that when a major internet company tries to buy a local newspaper, the merger is properly scrutinized. It should not be relaxing the rules that prevent more consolidated power in the media.” |
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Nov 2017 |
Two House Dems ask FCC Inspector General to investigate Pai-Sinclair |
Reuters Nov 13 2017 |
“FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, told a congressional committee last month, ‘All of our media policy decisions seem to be custom-built for this one company.’” That company being Sinclair. |
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
Bloomberg Nov 15 2017 |
“The Federal Communications Commission will vote this week on whether to eliminate a variety of limitations on media ownership. Some of these rollbacks are overdue. But others are overdone -- and threaten to diminish the variety of news and views broadcast on local television.
“The key to telling the difference is to keep in mind the FCC's main purpose with this kind of regulation: to promote competition and a diversity of views in local markets. Before purging its antiquated rulebook, the commission should develop a new framework for advancing these broader goals.”
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownership Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Opinion |
NBCNews, Nov 16 2017 |
“Sinclair Broadcasting, which could soon own more U.S. television stations than any other company, has a plan to create a near-national network of local stations delivering the news with a conservative bent. And thanks to some help from federal officials, that plan is inching closer to reality.
“Sinclair has bid $3.9 billion to acquire the Tribune Company, which would put it in control of 223 TV stations, by far the most of any broadcasting company. The Federal Communications Commission has taken several steps — and is contemplating others — that can help that merger, ”
“IS THE FCC INDEPENDENT?”
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Nov 2017 |
Local Ownersjip Caps Loosened, Deregulatory Blitz, Quotes |
Deadline Hollywood Nov 16 2017 |
“Democratic FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn countered that the changes were straight-up corporate favoritism. ‘My colleagues in the majority are more intent on granting industry wishes than giving a gift to those in the general public,’ she said. ‘Mark my words: Today will go down in history as one when the FCC abdicated its responsibility to uphold the core values of localism, competition and diversity in broadcasting.’ Agreed fellow Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel, ‘The FCC sets its most basic values on fire. They are gone.’
“Rosenworcel said community-based journalism coming out of many stations would be threatened by the rules changes. Clyburn even used President Trump’s own words to make a similar point. ‘This is about helping large companies grow even larger,’ she said. But it operates ‘in contrast with comments from the president that we must have ‘as many news outlets as we can.’”
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Nov 2017 |
Net Neutrality Repeal |
Net Neutrality Repealed |
Net Neutrality Repealed, paving the way for companies like AT&T or Comcast to throttle content they don’t own. |
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Dec 2017 |
Pai proposes to Loosen National Ownership Caps |
Broadcasting and Cable Dec 17 2017 |
"Commissioner Michael O'Rielly said he still didn't think the FCC had the authority to modify the congressionally mandated cap--he is a former congressional staffer who worked on the legislation. O'Rielly said Congress would need to weigh in ultimately, but he supported the FCC review since that congressional review did not look like it was forthcoming."
Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, who had voted to eliminate the UHF discount under a previous chairman, slammed the proposal.
"Today the FCC seeks to dismantle its values," she said. "At a time when real facts get casually derided as fake news, algorithms are ascendant, and what is viral is often not verifiable, this is neither prudent nor wise. It is also unlawful. At the direction of Congress in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2004, the FCC is statutorily prohibited from allowing a single company from acquiring stations that reach more than 39 percent of the national television audience. The FCC lacks authority to change this law.
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Jan 2018 |
Dem San Jose Mayor Quits FCC’s Digital Divide Committee, citing Industry-Friendly FCC agenda |
Variety Jan 25 2018 |
The mayor of San Jose resigned from an FCC committee tasked with expanding access to broadband, arguing that the focus of the group “plainly prioritized industry interests.”
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"Sam Liccardo, a Democrat, wrote in a letter that “after nine months of deliberation, negotiation, and discussion, we’ve made no progress toward a single proposal that will actually further the goal of equitable broadband deployment.” He said that “not a single one of the draft recommendations attempts to meaningfully identify any new or significant resources to promote digital inclusion.” Axios first reported on his resignation.
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Feb 2018 |
FCC Inspector General Looks at Conflicts of Interest |
Variety Feb 15 2018 |
“The FCC’s inspector general is conducting an investigation into a series of FCC actions last year, and how they benefited Sinclair Broadcast Group in the midst of seeking regulatory approval for its acquisition of Tribune Media.
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“’I am particularly concerned about reports that Chairman [Ajit] Pai may have coordinated with Sinclair to time a series of commission actions to benefit the company,’ Pallone said in a statement.
“Sinclair’s $3.9 billion deal would make them the largest broadcaster in the country, reaching about 72% of the country,”
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April 2018 |
FCC files comments re: Loosening National Ownership Caps |
AmericanCable.org April 19 2018 |
“‘Broadcasters must shoulder the burden to demonstrate that any benefits of new consolidation permitted under their plan would outweigh the harms, including retransmission consent-related harms. ACA remains skeptical that such a case can be made, and the recent revelations that allegedly ‘local’ news anchors must read scripts delivered from Sinclair corporate headquarters have only deepened our skepticism,’ ACA President and CEO Matthew M. Polka said.”
“ACA stressed that the FCC has no discretion to change the existing UHF discount from one based on signal propagation to one based on ratings.”
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April 2018 |
Appellate Judges address Loosening National Ownership caps AND UHF Discount |
Variety, April 20 2018 |
“Judge Gregory Katsas noted to the FCC’s attorney, James Carr, that while the FCC ‘might want to raise the cap,’ there was ‘no reason for thinking at that the end of the day, part of the solution will be keeping the [UHF] discount.’
‘I think that is probably fair, your honor,’ Carr replied. He argued that the UHF discount shouldn’t be eliminated without considering its implications to the 39% cap.”
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June 2018 |
National Ownership Caps Loosening Vote Scheduled for July |
Bloomberg June 14 2018 |
“The Federal Communications Commission’s chairman is said to be planning a vote next month on limits to how many TV stations a company can own, rules he has said are too restrictive and that could factor into Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc.’s planned purchase of Tribune Media Co.”
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“If the FCC abandons the special counting technique that discounts the audience of former UHF stations and chooses a new limit under 59 percent, Sinclair could be forced to sell more stations than it currently proposes, Gigi Sohn, a former Democratic FCC official and critic of the deal, said in an interview.
Any limit above 39 percent would itself draw a court challenge, Sohn said. “That’s going to be appealed right away,” she said.
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