A new report from the media watch dog group Free Press accuses the Federal Communications Commission of turning a blind eye toward
media consolidation in the television industry, according to the LA Times.
The study -- "Cease to Resist: How the FCC's Failure to
Enforce Its Policies Created a New Wave of Media Consolidation" -- scrutinizes
several major TV station owners including Sinclair Broadcast Group and Nexstar
and says they are using "shady tactics" to build "national media
empires."
"Companies are swallowing up stations at an alarming
rate, often through deals that violate the law," said S. Derek Turner,
author of the 44-page report. "If the FCC doesn't start enforcing its
rules, the damage to local competition and viewpoint diversity will be
overwhelming and irreversible."
Free Press takes issue with broadcasters controlling
multiple stations in the same city through what's known as local marketing
agreements or shared service agreements.
No comments:
Post a Comment