Is the FCC about to be in the news again?

Filed in archive Business Trends on May 31, 2006

Jessica Holzer at Forbes writes that media conglomerates that want to get even more enormous may soon get their wish via a new friend on the Federal Communications Commission.

"On Friday, the U.S. Senate confirmed Robert McDowell to fill the last vacant slot on the five-member commission, giving Martin a 3-2 Republican majority and effectively ending an impasse between Martin and the two Democrats on the commission over media ownership.

"Martin wants to lift the ban barring cross-ownership of TV stations and newspapers, and ease limits on how many stations a media giant can own in any one market. ..."

The confirmation of McDowell puts media ownership back on the front burner. It also raises the chances that AT&T's merger with BellSouth, and the Time Warner-Comcast plan to divvy up Adelphia Communications' assets get swift FCC approval without onerous strings attached.