Tribune Cross Ownership to Be Cleared in FCC Proposal

The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote on relaxing media-ownership rules and ratifying Tribune Co.’s common control of television stations and newspapers in cities including New York and Chicago, a final step the company needs to emerge from bankruptcy.

Bloomberg reports FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski Wednesday asked for a vote to “streamline and modernize” media ownership rules, Tammy Sun, an agency spokeswoman, said in an e-mail.

The proposals include allowing common ownership of a daily newspaper and a TV station in the 20 biggest U.S. cities, according to two officials briefed on the plan. In a separate proposal, Genachowski asked the agency to let Tribune keep its five TV-newspaper combinations, two officials said.

Chairman Genachowski

Tribune holds its television stations and newspapers under exceptions to a 1975 rule, and is asking the FCC to approve license transfers from the old company to the new entity as it emerges from bankruptcy proceedings. The combinations are in Chicago -- where Tribune publishes its namesake newspaper and opened TV station WGN in 1948 -- as well as New York, Los Angeles, South Florida and Hartford, Connecticut.

Genachowski’s proposed revisions to the broader rule would partially grant relief that newspapers have sought as they lose readers to the Web and advertising revenue declines. The agency officials spoke on condition they not be identified because the matter hasn’t been made public.

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