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 STATEMENT  OF  CHAIRMAN  KEVIN  J.  MARTIN 
 Good  afternoon.  Thank  you  for  joining  us  today. 
 As  you  know,  we  recently  began  a  comprehensive  review  of  our  rules  governing  media  ownership.  Public  input  is  critical  to  this  process.  There  is  enormous  value  in 
 hearing  from  members  of  the  public,  as  well  as  from  the  media  industry.  This  is  the  first  of  six  public  hearings  that  the  Commission  will  hold  around  the  country  on  the  topic  of 
 media  ownership.  The  goal  of  these  hearings  is  to  more  fully  and  directly  involve  the  American  people  in  the  process. 


 The  Commission  is  looking  for  input  on  our  rules  and  how  they  impact  the  three  core  goals  they  are  intended  to  further:  competition,  diversity  and  localism.  The 
 decisions  we  will  make  about  our  ownership  rules  will  be  as  difficult  as  they  are  critical.  The  media  touches  almost  every  aspect  of  our  lives.  We  are  dependent  upon  it  for  our 
 news,  our  information  and  our  entertainment.  Indeed,  the  opportunity  to  express  diverse  viewpoints  lies  at  the  heart  of  our  democracy. 


 I  recognize  many  of  the  concerns  expressed  about  increased  consolidation  and  preservation  of  diversity.  But,  also  critical  to  our  review  is  exploring  and  understanding 
 the  competitive  realities  of  the  media  marketplace.  It  is  our  task  to  ensure  that  our  ownership  rules  take  into  account  the  competitive  environment  in  which  media 
 companies  operate  while  also  ensuring  the  promotion  of  localism  and  diversity. 
 We  must  also  recognize,  though,  that  some  of  our  rules  have  not  been  updated  for  years  and  may  no  longer  reflect  the  current  marketplace.  The  Third  Circuit  recognized 
 this  when  it  upheld  the  Commission’s  elimination  of  the  newspaper/  broadcast  cross-ownership  ban.  We  need  to  develop  a  rule  for  cross-  ownership  that  reflects  current 
 market  characteristics,  including  the  struggling  nature  of  today’s  newspaper  industry,  and  recognizes  how  ownership  rules  impact  the  ability  of  newspapers  and  broadcasters  to 
 serve  their  local  communities. 
 We  are  just  beginning  this  process.  We  are  working  to  develop  a  record,  with  hearings  like  this  one  today  and  through  the  written  comment  process,  on  which  to  base 
 our  decisions.  It  is  important  that  the  record  be  complete  before  we  make  any  decisions  about  whether  and  how  any  of  our  rules  should  be  revised. 


 It  is  fitting  that  we  start  here  in  Los  Angeles.  Those  operating  media  outlets  and  living  in  this  area  can  provide  an  extremely  helpful  perspective  on  media  ownership. 
 L.  A.  is  the  second  largest  media  market  in  the  United  States  and  the  heart  of  the  entertainment  industry.  Moreover,  it  has  an  enormously  diverse  population  –  Los 
 Angeles’  multi-  ethnic  population  includes  people  from  140  countries  speaking  nearly  100  different  languages.  Additionally,  the  LA  area  has  one  of  the  largest,  if  not  the  largest 
 Hispanic  and  Asian  populations  in  the  nation. 
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 I  look  forward  to  hearing  your  thoughts  and  insights  on  the  subject  of  our  media  ownership  rules.  Thank  you  for  your  participation  today. 
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