AFTRA Files Comments on Media Consolidation with FCC

Posted March 07, 2012

Addresses reverse on cross-ownership ban

LOS ANGELES (March 6, 2012) --- The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO - a national union representing more than 70,000 broadcast professionals, performers and recording artists – has submitted comments to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regarding consolidation of media ownership.

The comments were submitted on Monday, March 5, on behalf of its members in the media and entertainment industry in response to the FCC’s Dec. 22, 2011 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) seeking comment on the commission’s remaining media ownership rules and changes in the NPRM.

AFTRA’s comments specifically focus on its opposition of the proposed Newspaper-Broadcast Cross-Ownership Rule, which would reverse the ban on such cross-ownership, and opposes the proposed repeal by the Commission of the Radio-Television Cross-Ownership Rule.

“Relaxing ownership rules will lead to a less competitive media marketplace that is less responsive to the public need for information,” AFTRA states in its filing. “Moreover, the continued and widespread use of joint news agreements will exacerbate those harms by rendering any rules less effective. We urge that the Commission strongly consider imposing restrictions on the use of such agreements, to prevent media owners from circumventing the intent and letter of the Commission’s rules.”

Highlights of the comments include:

• AFTRA maintains it is necessary for the Commission to preserve or strengthen its media ownership rules in order to further the three goals set by the Commission in promulgating those rules: competition amongst media owners, diversity in ownership and content and responsibilities to local concerns.
• More ownership concentration leads to fewer jobs for media professionals, which results in fewer independent news sources and editorial perspectives in news coverage.
• A combined company may improve the bottom line, but will do so without increasing the resources devoted to local newsgathering.
• Increased consolidation has been accompanied by diminished local access to news and greater constraints on the quality of that news.
• Regardless of what form cross-ownership of media takes, they produce the same results: layoffs of news staff, compromised journalistic practices and less competition in news gathering and dissemination.

AFTRA recommends in its comments that the FCC take a two-pronged approach: 1) promulgate new rules restricting the use of these arrangements, or in the alternative, build into its existing rules the requirement that the Commission consider these arrangements in reviewing ownership licenses; 2) The FCC should review its existing media ownership rules with these arrangements in mind and should retain the existing rules as a way to combat the harm these agreements post to the public’s access to information.

To read the comments in its entirety, click here.

About AFTRA
The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, AFL-CIO, are the people who entertain and inform America. In 32 Locals across the country, AFTRA members work as actors, broadcasters, singers, dancers, announcers, hosts, comedians, disc jockeys and other performers across the media industries including television, radio, cable, sound recordings, music videos, commercials, audio books, non-broadcast industrials, interactive games, the Internet and other digital media. The 70,000 professional performers, broadcasters and recording artists of AFTRA are working together to protect and improve their jobs, lives and communities in the 21st century. From new art forms to new technology, AFTRA members embrace change in their work and craft to enhance American culture and society. Visit AFTRA online at www.aftra.com.

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