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About Northwest labor press. (Portland , Ore.) 1987-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 16, 2007)
Unions oppose FCC push to consolidate media ownership SEATTLE — Union members were among an estimated 1,000 people attending a town hall meeting here Nov. 9. Most of them where there to tell the Federal Communications Com- mission (FCC) not to go forward with a plan to consolidate big media. The FCC is considering sweeping changes to media ownership rules that would allow media conglomerates to swallow up more local radio and tele- vision stations and newspapers. A sin- gle company could own the major daily newspaper, and as many as eight radio stations and three TV stations in a city. Reportedly, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin plans to seek a commission vote by Dec. 18 on the proposed regu- lations. A majority of the commission- ers on the FCC were appointed by President Bush. A previous effort to relax media regulations was led by former FCC chairman Michael Powell — son of then-Bush Secretary of State Colin Powell. The plan was tossed out by the federal appellate court in Philadelphia because the FCC held no hearings on it. The FCC resurrected the plan, this time holding hearings in Los Angeles; Nashville, Tenn.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Tampa, Fla.; Chicago, Ill. and Seattle. The FCC in 2003 wiped out decades-old limits on the number of local TV, radio and newspaper outlets a corporation could own, but a biparti- san majority in the Senate voted to overturn the rule changes with Con- gress eventually reaching a compro- mise — limiting the number of sta- tions one company could own to 39 percent of the national audience. Since then, growing media consolidation has resulted in increasing lack of diversity both in the content produced and those producing it. In Oregon, Musicians Local 99 and Communication Workers of America Local Motion October 2007 Union activity in Oregon and Southwest Washington, according to the National Labor Relations Board and the Oregon Employment Relations Board Election results Company Date Union Results: Union Location 8 Hanard Machine 10/12 Carpenters Industrial Council 20 50 Local 7901 have led the fight against media consolidation. The two unions helped pass a resolution at the Oregon AFL-CIO convention in October op- posing the FCC proposal. “Our unions and the general public suffer from under reporting of labor is- sues and misinformation influenced by corporate America,” the unions said. “The frontline workers most affected include journalists, musicians, writers, artists, actors and telecommunication workers.” Washington U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell (D) sent a recorded statement to the Seattle town hall expressing concern over the impact media con- centration would have on Northwest communities. Cantwell has co-spon- sored the “Media Ownership Act of 2007,” a bipartisan bill that would put the brakes on the FCC proposal. At a breakfast with union officials in August, Oregon U.S. Sen. Gordon Smith was asked about media consoli- dation. He told union leaders consoli- dation is being driven by expansion of the Information Age. “In the Information Age in which we live, you can get newspapers on- line. You have 200 TV channels and AM, FM, FM2 and AM2, XM Radio and Band Radio,” Smith said. “Don’t lose any sleep over (media mogul) Rupert Murdoch. You have endless choices.” T URN Y OUR H OME E QUITY I NTO C ASH , L INE OF C REDIT , M ONTHLY I NCOME OR A C OMBINATION OF P LANS . Talk with Lynn or Julie, the Reverse Mortgage Specialists at: 205 East 11th Street, Suite 104, Vancouver, Washington K Company Union ramers/metro mailing service 3201 N.W. 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