SCOTUS reinstates FCC's new ownership rules

[CircleSeven 1955]

And to the surprise of no one, the FCC has a proposal in its November 16 meeting to modify its media ownership rules. And also not a surprise, they will act on an Order of Reconsideration to change the rules.

 

The order will do as follows:

• To eliminate the 42-year Newspaper-Broadcast Cross-Ownership rule; and to eliminate the Radio-Television Cross-Owership rule.
  
• It will modify the Local Television Ownership Rule by eliminating the Eight-Voices Test, and add a case-by-case option in the Top-Four Prohibition rule (but it won't eliminate the top-four rule completely).
  
• To eliminate the JSA attribution rule for TV stations, and to retain a disclosure requirement for SSAs involving commercial stations.
  
• To decline to change the market definition relied on in the Local Radio Ownership rule.
  
• And to start an incubator program that would open the door for new and diverse voices in the industry, and will issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on how to structure this new program.
  

[hmaxhanson 650]

Jesus. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds bad for us and good for Sin-Don't Care.

[nathannah 2428]

• And to start an incubator program that would open the door for new and diverse voices in the industry, and will issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on how to structure this new program.
  

 

This should have as much effect as stations posting jobs in local newspapers and job fairs and stating on air they'll hire any schlub off the street, but then they always go through internal or industry channels and you have to 'connect' with those folks. I expect those 'diverse' voices will include Joel Osteen, Benny Hinn or the same hacks that are turning the AM band into the new 'must avoid' dial like shortwave.

[Rusty Muck 4368]

Jesus. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds bad for us and good for Sin-Don't Care.

Well, yeah. Paid Off is only in that position to serve at David Smith’s behest.

 

Illegitimate rules from an illegitimate criminal. Will pass with a 3-2 party-line vote. Do not pass go.

[rkolsen 1684]

This should have as much effect as stations posting jobs in local newspapers and job fairs and stating on air they'll hire any schlub off the street, but then they always go through internal or industry channels and you have to 'connect' with those folks.

 

If you ever looked at those EEO reports you’ll see pages of places they sent job notices to that have nothing to do with the industry. I’m trying to figure out how speaking to elementary school students count as “events relating to career opportunities in broadcasting”. Maybe if the event were to high school students that would be a different story.

[Eat News 4745]

If you ever looked at those EEO reports you’ll see pages of places they sent job notices to that have nothing to do with the industry. I’m trying to figure out how speaking to elementary school students count as “events relating to career opportunities in broadcasting”. Maybe if the event were to high school students that would be a different story.

 

Getting children interested in the media includes visits from the weather van...and the weather lady or guy....and that encourages young women/girls to get interested in STEM.

 

That's why elementary school visits are important.

 

In other words...

"Indoctrinate the little buggers at an early age into the leftist biased media."

[oklahomanewsman 210]

Jesus. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds bad for us and good for Sin-Don't Care.

I can tell you, Sinclair won't be the only ones who benefits from the deal, Nexstar, Meredith, Hearst, TEGNA, Comcast/NBC, CBS and Disney/ABC will all benefit from the repeals of the 1975 ban and the 8 independent voices ban as well as changes to the Local TV rule (Nexstar and Sinclair would be the biggest winners in that department)

[T.L. Hughes 889]

Jesus. I don't know what any of that means, but it sounds bad for us and good for Sin-Don't Care.

Lest we forget, there's also Nexstar. Sinclair was the intended benefactor for the deal, but Nexstar would benefit as well. No one's talked about that. They would also likely attempt to transfer ownership of some of their Big Fours to the main company directly, instead of operating them through Mission and its other shells. Nexstar would likely also try to acquire more stations, but it would be difficult to impossible for it to reach the top three markets.

 

Raycom could also benefit here. They have American Spirit Media, which, granted, is not as widespread as Mission, Deerfield and Cunningham. Nexstar and Raycom collectively operate all five commercial TV stations in the Lawton-Wichita Falls market, the market to the southwest of mine. Raycom could try to directly acquire KAUZ or, more likely, Nexstar could directly acquire KJTL and possibly, KJBO-LP as well, if the rules were passed.

 

Somehow, I believe that Pai won't even follow protocol here; the FCC is supposed to outline rule changes through formal Notices of Proposed Rulemaking and open it up to public comment. If he brings it up to a vote at the next open meeting without doing that, expect a lawsuit to be filed. If you want to make your voice heard against this media consolidation payout, sign here and pass this link to everybody you know (and press them to send it to those they know, and so on...): http://act.freepress.net/sign/consol_pai_ownership/?source=FPblog

[GoldenShine9 1513]

Lest we forget, there's also Nexstar. Sinclair was the intended benefactor for the deal, but Nexstar would benefit as well. No one's talked about that. They would also likely attempt to transfer ownership of some of their Big Fours to the main company directly, instead of operating them through Mission and its other shells. Nexstar would likely also try to acquire more stations, but it would be difficult to impossible for it to reach the top three markets.

 

Raycom could also benefit here. They have American Spirit Media, which, granted, is not as widespread as Mission, Deerfield and Cunningham. Nexstar and Raycom collectively operate all five commercial TV stations in the Lawton-Wichita Falls market, the market to the southwest of mine. Raycom could try to directly acquire KAUZ or, more likely, Nexstar could directly acquire KJTL and possibly, KJBO-LP as well, if the rules were passed.

 

Somehow, I believe that Pai won't even follow protocol here; the FCC is supposed to outline rule changes through formal Notices of Proposed Rulemaking and open it up to public comment. If he brings it up to a vote at the next open meeting without doing that, expect a lawsuit to be filed. If you want to make your voice heard against this media consolidation payout, sign here and pass this link to everybody you know (and press them to send it to those they know, and so on...): http://act.freepress.net/sign/consol_pai_ownership/?source=FPblog

 

If that happens, then the case could easily end up in the courts. Doesn't Congress have the final say?

[T.L. Hughes 889]

If that happens, then the case could easily end up in the courts. Doesn't Congress have the final say?

They hold responsibility of raising the national ownership cap. But beyond that, I'm not sure if they have authority to uphold or strike down broader FCC media regulations.

 

But, yeah, a lawsuit is likely; in fact, Free Press' Craig Aaron has inferred his group (probably including its co-plaintiffs in the suit against the reinstatement of the UHF discount) would file one, which might have the side benefit of slowing down the Sinclair-Tribune deal's review process once again (since the proposal doesn't ask for Congress to vote on increasing the national cap that Sinclair would need to reach 72% of the U.S. unfettered), possibly extending its limbo period to about the same length as the AT&T-Time Warner merger has experienced at the DOJ to date. As Bloomberg noted, the Third Circuit court has, dating back to a similar deregulatory proposal in 2003, curtailed attempts by the FCC to significantly deregulate the broadcasting industry.

[oklahomanewsman 210]

And if Free Press doesn't challenge any of the proposed changes in court I'd be shocked (knowing that Free Press will challenge anything and everything the FCC and other media ownership group will try to do)

[Megatron81 258]

And if Free Press doesn't challenge any of the proposed changes in court I'd be shocked (knowing that Free Press will challenge anything and everything the FCC and other media ownership group will try to do)

 

I agree Free Press going to file a lawsuit anything that the FCC does they want to go back to 1950's if Free Press had there way.

[oklahomanewsman 210]

I agree Free Press going to file a lawsuit anything that the FCC does they want to go back to 1950's if Free Press had there way.

It'll be interesting to see what Free Press, etc. does once the FCC takes the vote and approves it on Nov. 16th they may reply back with the same stuff they've been saying for as long as those advocacy groups has existed.

[The Frog 429]

Deregulation has been approved.

 

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-deregulates-broadcast-ownership/170163

[Eat News 4745]

Deregulation has been approved.

 

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/washington/fcc-deregulates-broadcast-ownership/170163

 

 

Yippieeeee!!!

 

Let the looting begin!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=id=BqFnQygTOuo;t=68

[TheRob 937]

[T.L. Hughes 889]

What do you expect? When you appoint a former Verizon lobbyist as head of the FCC, he's going to cowtow to corporate interests. Why do you think that Americans distrust the government? Why do you think progressives want to reform the campaign finance system (either by law or a 28th Amendment) and, presumably, place restrictions on corporate lobbying? Stuff like this. We're part of a corporate democracy, not a representative one. In any other context, corporate influence in politics would constitute as corruption; here in America, most of our politicians see it as a, to quote Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary, "nothingburger".

 

Corporate interests have now compromised the FCC, just as they've done with our Congressmembers. Can we raise hell to stop this robbery of America by the corporations? Yes. Will the government listen? Only if we hit corrupted politicians where it hurts, the threat of replacing them with people who won't allow corporations to put their thumb on the scale through them. Unfortunately, complacency led this kind of thing to happen; it's partly our fault, as many Americans sat out the 2016 election, despite the warnings that were made. The American public needs to send a message in 2018 that were not putting up with corporate corruption anymore, and are taking our country back from corporate interests.

 

Block out what propaganda they try to spill, and just listen to and support candidates who have a clear intent (and mean what they say) to shift the balance of power back towards the consumers and workers. That includes supporting candidates who actually want to break up corporate monopolies/oligopolies, including big media, and not just provide lip service.

[Rusty Muck 4368]

So now Paid Off is going to repeal Net Neutrality and nothing - NOTHING - will stop that inevitable 3-2 affirmative vote.

[NowBergen 681]

When you step back, Paid off is clearly moving to a form of censorship where what we see on local TV is controlled by only a few companies that are free to enforce their must runs, and allow ISPs to pick and choose what websites we are allowed to click. This is scary folks, and people really need to wake up to this. The GOP is great at creating false consipiracy theories, but something more sinister is happening here under the direction of Paid Off.

[GoldenShine9 1513]

A lot of these rule changes are going to get overturned by courts...he doesn't have the power to unilaterally change them, that lies with Congress.

[Rusty Muck 4368]

When you step back, Paid off is clearly moving to a form of censorship where what we see on local TV is controlled by only a few companies that are free to enforce their must runs, and allow ISPs to pick and choose what websites we are allowed to click. This is scary folks, and people really need to wake up to this. The GOP is great at creating false consipiracy theories, but something more sinister is happening here under the direction of Paid Off.

It's too late. Paid Off has got everything in his corner and nothing will stop him.

[Rusty Muck 4368]

A lot of these rule changes are going to get overturned by courts...he doesn't have the power to unilaterally change them, that lies with Congress.

Paid Off will immediately deem the 3-2 vote the law of the land that doesn't need any law backing it, just like everyone else in the Crooked Trump Regime.

 

Seriously. You expect this Republican Congress to do anything? They want this, so much so that they'll sit back and let Paid Off do what he so desires. The fix is in. Do not pass go.

[GoldenShine9 1513]

Paid Off will immediately deem the 3-2 vote the law of the land that doesn't need any law backing it, just like everyone else in the Crooked Trump Regime.

 

Seriously. You expect this Republican Congress to do anything? They want this, so much so that they'll sit back and let Paid Off do what he so desires. The fix is in. Do not pass go.

 

When it's 51-49 (if Moore loses), they need 2 votes from moderate Republicans to kill it in the Senate and it doesn't seem to be a priority anyway. Also any court can nullify it.

[Rusty Muck 4368]

When it's 51-49 (if Moore loses), they need 2 votes from moderate Republicans to kill it in the Senate and it doesn't seem to be a priority anyway.

Votes to kill what? Net Neutrality or Paid Off’s decree?

 

Just like Trump does, Paid Off is going to make his action be the law of the land, and say that Net Neutrality simply no longer exists with that 3-2 affirmative vote, regardless of what Congress does or doesn’t do. So what does it matter? He acts like any other power-hungry Republican does.

 

Court challenges to this may be a different story. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.

[TennTV1983 804]

Court challenges to this may be a different story. But I wouldn’t hold my breath.

And the courts themselves are slowly but surely being molded into Der Führer Drumpf's image because Republicans have allowed it to be so by leaving open any vacancies left behind during the previous administration's tenure. Corporate America and government are one in the same now if not already.