REPS. PRESSURE MARTIN ON OWNERSHIP RULES Jeffrey Yorke – Radio and Records Kevin Martin must be singing -- make that screaming -- “Who Let the Dogs Out?” On Wednesday (Oct. 25) 42 House members fired off a 527-word letter “to express our grave shock and dismay over reports” that the FCC chairman is circulating draft media-ownership rules among his FCC colleagues.
“We understand that you intend to try to finalize these rules by the end of this calendar year,” wrote the all-Democrat group led by Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y). “We believe that such actions are reminiscent of the bad behavior that resulted in an intervention by the Third Circuit of the United States Court of Appeals in your agency's efforts on media ownership three years ago. Therefore, we hope that you will immediately take steps to resolve significant shortcomings in your plan regarding accountability, transparency and scientific integrity.”
The letter chides the chairman for beginning the process of changing the rules before the commission holds its sixth and final public hearing on the current media-ownership rules. (The FCC announced late Wednesday that it intended to hold the final meeting at FCC headquarters in Washington, D.C. on Halloween.) The group adds, “It is our understanding that each of the hearings held by the agency have been very heavily attended, with people staying into the late evening in order to make their opinions known. Therefore, we have great difficulty understanding the propriety of moving forward on new media-ownership rules before the commission has held its final event. In addition, we cannot comprehend how your staff could possibly have fully analyzed the public comments submitted in Chicago before you began to circulate these new rules.”
The letter comes on the heels of a hastily called press conference held Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.), who threatened to draft legislation, if necessary, to stop Martin from pursuing his fast-track route for changing media-ownership rules.
In the letter, the representatives, which include Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), David Price (D-N.C.), Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-Texas), Lynn Woolsey (D-Calif.), Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), add that the group is “highly alarmed” that Martin plans a commission vote on the proposed changes within the next two months. “Such action would make public comment on the new rules inadequate. We believe that another full round of public commentary is essential before a final vote.”
The group concluded its letter by saying the FCC “must do everything it can to be able to honestly say that it is ending this proceeding after having considered every factor on behalf of the public, whose airwaves it purports to represent.” |