Government

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today concluded its quadrennial review of the broadcast ownership rules. The Commission amended the 32-year-old absolute ban on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership by crafting an approach that would presumptively allow a newspaper to own one television station or one radio station in the 20 largest markets, subject to strict criteria and limitations.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) today adopted a Report and Order (Order) which will expand opportunities for participation in the broadcasting industry by new entrants and small businesses, including minority- and women-owned businesses, to own broadcast outlets.

The new rules will help eligible entities with access to financing and availability of spectrum.

Following the August release of the Government Accountability Office (GAO) study on Advertising contracting and Congressional Subcommittee meetings on Government Management, Organization and Procurement, AHAA’s leadership engaged the association in an initiative to enforce government standards in advertising and communications contracts.

“Labor Day differs in every essential way from the other holidays of the year in any country,” said Samuel Gompers, founder and longtime president of the American Federation of Labor. “All other holidays are in a more or less degree connected with conflicts and battles of man’s prowess over man, of strife and discord for greed and power, of glories achieved by one nation over another. Labor Day…is devoted to no man, living or dead, to no sect, race, or nation.”

Leading Senate and House Democrats urged federal agencies to take an active role in increasing the amount of federal advertising contracts awarded to disadvantaged and minority-owned businesses. Their action comes in response to a report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to be released that found that federal agencies are falling short of the standards set by an executive order issued in 2000 calling on the government to “aggressively” reach out to minority and underserved firms.

The FTC will host a two-day Town Hall to bring together consumer advocates, industry representatives, technology experts, and academics to address the consumer protection issues raised by the practice of tracking consumers’ activities online to target advertising – or “behavioral advertising.”

The Federal Communications Commission announced the release of ten research studies on media ownership intended to inform the Commission’s comprehensive review of its broadcast ownership policies undertaken in its rulemaking proceeding in MB Docket No. 06-121 involving the issues raised by the opinion of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit in Prometheus v. FCC and its quadrennial review of its broadcast ownership rules and certain other rules.

GobiernoUSA.gov, the official web portal for the U.S. government in Spanish, will collaborate with Spanish language newspaper publisher ImpreMedia to expand its distribution of official government information to the Hispanic community.

A study released by the Federal Trade Commission confirms that African American and Hispanic drivers pay more for auto insurance because insurers use credit scores todetermine premiums. The use of credit scores in insurance has long been a controversial practice because of its discriminatory impact on low income and minority families.

STOPPING VIOLENCE ON TV by governmental mandate?

That would be like trying to stop any widespread behavior, according to Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.). “We tried it once,” he said. “It was called prohibition.”

Alcohol, like fictional violence, is tough to keep away from human beings. Regulating behavior never works, Lautenberg said, speaking at a Senate committee hearing on violence. But having parents monitor kids’ entertainment habits isn’t enough, many senators said. At the same time no one could come up with a reasonable way to curb or change the preponderance of violence in TV show — especially with freedom of speech concerns.

I’ve got a suggestion for what should be required reading for the politicians on Capitol Hill who pandered to the racist, anti-immigrant hysteria whipped up by Lou Dobbs, Pat Buchanan and the rest of their fear-mongering ilk. By: Jose Cancela

Reacting to a new Free Press study on radio ownership, national women’s rights and civil rights leaders joined two Federal Communications Commissioners in condemning the FCC for its failure to address the low number of female and minority media owners.

Azteca America said today that The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has denied a request by NBC Telemundo to withhold a license renewal of its station affiliate in Los Angeles. The result is a clean bill of health for our operations, which fully respect US regulations and institutions.

Univision Communications Inc. announced that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has approved its acquisition by Broadcasting Media Partners Inc. (“BMP”), an investor group that includes Madison Dearborn Partners, Providence Equity Partners, TPG, Thomas H. Lee Partners, and Saban Capital Group. The acquisition, at a price of $36.25 per Univision share in cash, is expected to close this month.