202-225-3166 04:55:14 p.m. 12-10-2012
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December S, 2012
The Honorable Julius Genachowski
Chairman
Federal Communications Commission
44S 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554
Dear Chairman Genachowski,
Vibrant public dialogue - facilitated by a diverse array ofmedia outlets - has long been a
cornerstone ofAmerican Democracy. Even more central to our national identity is our capacity
to question, stand up, and speak out No entity, no matter how wealthy or powerful, can be
allowed to silence the voices of individual Americans and their patchwork ofcommunities that
hold this great country together. Being the primary source ofnews across America, broadcast
media plays a vital role in informing and shaping public discourse. Further consolidation of this
industry presents a serious and immediate threat to our democratic process.
Before the Commission changes its media ownership rules, it must fully consider the impact of
any further consolidation in order to satisfy its obligation to serve the public interest, and also to
comply with the mandate of the Third Circuit Court ofAppeals reviewing the Commission's
decisionslon this question. Whilewelippreciate the Commission providing a commentperiod on
its summl!1Y ownership statistics, this does not meet the Third Circuit Court's standard regarding
media ownership diversity. The court instructed the FCC to study the impact on female and
minority ownership before making any rule change. The FCC has a responsibility to fully
analyze h!lw this proposed rule change will affect the communities who have been denied an
ownership stake in our media system for far too long. We urge the FCC to conduct the thoughtful
and thorough analysis this questitm deserves before moving forward with a rule change that
could have, detrimental impacton ownership diversity.
We have been and remain concerned with this pattern ofincreased concentration and lessened
diversity for many reasons, not least ofwhich is the fact that many of our constituents still
depend heavily on TV and radio hroadcasts for their news and information. Broadcast media
continues'to be the primary source oflocal news, with 74 percent of adults getting local news
from local TV stations, 51 percent getting it from radio broadcasts, and 50 percent from local
newspapers.
While local broadcast media remain an important source ofinformation for our constituents,
these outlets often do not reflect the diversity of the communities they serve. Women and people
ofcolor historically held very few licenses for radio and television stations, and these numbers
remain shockingly low. The Commission very recently released new data indicating that
ownership ofbroadcast outlets does not reflect our nation's growing diversity. Women hold less
than 7 percent ofall full-power commercial radio and television broadcast licenses, while racial
and ethnic minorities control only 3.6 percent of such TV stations and 8 percent ofsuch radio
·stations.
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Despite these numbers, we are led to believe that the Commission may once again relax its cross­
ownership rules. Reports suggest that these changes could include lifting a ban on allowing
newspapers to own a TV station in the same market in which they publish. These rule changes
and others appear to be largely the same as those proposed by former Chairman Kevin Martin in
2007 - and that Congressional Democrats, along with the Third Circuit Court ofAppeals and the
public at large resoundingly rejected. It is our understanding that a vote on this latest round of
proposed rule changes could even occur in the next several weeks, without any public hearings
or discussions on these proposals.
Little if anything has changed since the Commission last proposed such rule changes in 2007.
The recenlly released ownership report provides some long-absent data, but the numbers paint a
bleak picture. The Commission has not adequately addressed the likely impact of any proposed
rule changes on diversity, as the Third Circuit has repeatedly required ofthe Commission's
actions in ihis proceeding. We are concerned that already low levels ofownership will be
diminished even further by the proposed rule changes. Further consolidation would harm the
entire media system, but have a disproportionate impact on diverse owners and the communities
they serve.
For all of these reasons, we respectfully request that the Commission not proceed with its
proposed rule changes at this time, and that it seeks further analysis and comment on its recently
released data before it acts on its media ownership rules.
Sincerely,
LEWIS
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Representative Alcee Hastings (FL-23
Representative Hansen Clarke (Ml_13th)
presentative Yvette Clarke (NY-11 th)
tive Elijah Cummings (MD-7lh)
Chaka Fattah (PA_2nd)
•
Representative eila Jackson-Lee
(TX-Iglh)
Representative Laura Richardson
(CA-37th)
Representative Terri Sewell (AL-7'h)
j,...~
RepresentativeBenni~
(MS_2nd)
R esentative Edolphus Towns (NY_loth)
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Representati Henry "Hank" Johnson
(GA-4I1t)
'l '). )/-
Representative Cedric Richmond (LA_2nd)
epresentative Barbara Lee (CA-911t) eprcsentative Bobby L. Rush (n.-llt)
Reprcsenta e David Scott (GA-1311t)
Representative Eleanor Holmes Norton
(DC - At-Large)
~--
Representative Robert "Bobby" Scott
(VA-3nl)
~~~
Representative Melvin Watt (NC-1211t)
Representative Charles B. Ran e
(NY-lSIlt)
•
•
•
Representative Frederica Wilson (FL-17I1t)
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(
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Representative KAren Bass (CA-33)
I
nlative Sanford Bishop
~(\...-.
Represenlolive Corrine Brown (FL_3M)
've Andre Carson (1N_7dl)
Repres~ntative Donna Chrislensen
(VI - At-Lorge)
04:56:04 p.m. 12-10-2012
Representative Marcia Fudge (OH_II'h)
()/4~..... -
Representative AI Green (TX-g''')
Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson
(TX-30,h)
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Representative Linda Sanchez (CA-39)
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