With Powell's resignation, what issues await FCC's new chief?

Published: 2005-02-04

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- The new chair of the Federal Communications Commission -- whomever President George W. Bush chooses to nominate -- could borrow a line from the James Dean movie "Rebel Without a Cause." If asked what issues need tending to, that person could answer, "What have you got?" For one thing, there's media concentration. For another, there's low-power FM radio. And there are persistent concerns about broadcast indecency. When Michael Powell announced his resignation in January as FCC chairman, he left a lot of work unfinished. An incoming FCC chairman will have to prioritize. Katherine Grincewich, an attorney in the U.S. bishops' Office of General Counsel who tracks media and communications policy matters, said media consolidation remains a huge issue. The FCC passed up Jan. 31 a chance to appeal a federal district court decision that struck down new media ownership rules the FCC approved along party lines in 2003. The rules -- backed by Republicans and opposed by Democrats -- would have allowed for more intense media concentration, including cross-ownership of newspapers, TV stations and cable systems in the same market, and ownership of more TV stations by a single owner. The judge said the methodology used by the FCC in justifying the change in ownership rules was flawed. Grincewich said she hopes the new FCC chair will "rewrite the ownership rules -- and this time, do it right."

Copyright (c) 2005 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .