From Multichannel News, June 29, 2007

By Ted Hearn

Portland, Maine — The Federal Communications Commission came here Thursday night to conduct a marathon open-mike session on the performance of local radio and TV stations, with possible FCC adoption of new broadcast-ownership rules serving as the backdrop for so much of the commentary.

Dozens of audience members stood to sound off about the media in ways very familiar to the federal regulatory body. Some rose to say that local radio and TV stations were vital to the community, helping to raise money to fight cancer and heart disease. Others complained about out-of-state ownership, large corporate control of media outlets and the airing of recycled programming to cut costs.

“We, the people, own these airwaves. Do not encourage further ownership consolidation,” said Randy Visser, 48, of Gray, Maine, in comments that summarized the feelings of so many who waited hours for their two minutes at the microphone.

Extolling local broadcasters, Daniel Paradee, public-affairs manager for the Maine Turnpike Authority, said the state didn’t have funds to keep drivers informed about delays associated with a five-year widening project on a 30-mile stretch used by 70 million vehicles per year. Local radio stations came to the rescue, he added.

“Public communication about this project and its impact on traffic was absolutely critical to the safety of our customers and to the health of our state’s economy,” Paradee said. “Maine broadcasters deserve much of the credit for the successful communication of this project. They played a vital role in minimizing traffic delays and maximizing safety.”

Visser drove 40 minutes from his home to give a piece of his mind to FCC Republicans Robert McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate and Democrats Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein. FCC chairman Kevin Martin remained in Washington, D.C., to deal with health problems of his newborn son.

In 2003, the FCC, under chairman Michael Powell, relaxed broadcast-ownership rules, including the 1975 rule that banned the common ownership of a local newspaper and a TV or radio station in same local market. But one year later, a federal court rejected the changes as unjustified — a ruling cheered by those who thought the FCC had caved in to corporate interests.

“The FCC has failed to protect the interests of the American people,” Adelstein said in opening remarks.

A few-hundred people filled about three-quarters of the seats in the Portland High School auditorium, there to participate in the FCC’s first out-of-Washington session on the efforts of area broadcasters to fulfill their “localism” obligations. Ending just before midnight, the forum included expert commentary from panelists picked by the commission, followed by audience commentary that involved at least 100 speakers.

Each FCC member made opening comments, but just Copps and Adelstein spoke at the end.

Adelstein seemed to suggest that the people who complained about Portland radio and TV stations had more credibility than those who spoke in support of the local broadcasters.

“All of these stories about localism came from people who are in the broadcast industry or beneficiaries of their largess — all very noble undertakings that we heard from,” Adelstein said. “But I suspect that if it were as great as they made it out to be, we may have heard an equal outpouring from the actual viewers themselves and the listeners.”

Martin, a Republican Bush appointee who voted for the 2003 rules, indicated the agency’s next moves. Martin has consistently supported relaxation of the newspaper-broadcast ownership rule.

“I think the environment now is better than when Powell’s rules were defeated. It’s a new era. It’s an era of more oversight,” Copps said. “We have to defeat any new bad rules that may be proposed.”

Dozens of audience members stood to sound off about the media in ways very familiar to the federal regulatory body. Some rose to say that local radio and TV stations were vital to the community, helping to raise money to fight cancer and heart disease. Others complained about out-of-state ownership, large corporate control of media outlets and the airing of recycled programming to cut costs.

“We, the people, own these airwaves. Do not encourage further ownership consolidation,” said Randy Visser, 48, of Gray, Maine, in comments that summarized the feelings of so many who waited hours for their two minutes at the microphone.

Extolling local broadcasters, Daniel Paradee, public-affairs manager for the Maine Turnpike Authority, said the state didn’t have funds to keep drivers informed about delays associated with a five-year widening project on a 30-mile stretch used by 70 million vehicles per year. Local radio stations came to the rescue, he added.

“Public communication about this project and its impact on traffic was absolutely critical to the safety of our customers and to the health of our state’s economy,” Paradee said. “Maine broadcasters deserve much of the credit for the successful communication of this project. They played a vital role in minimizing traffic delays and maximizing safety.”

Visser drove 40 minutes from his home to give a piece of his mind to FCC Republicans Robert McDowell and Deborah Taylor Tate and Democrats Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein. FCC chairman Kevin Martin remained in Washington, D.C., to deal with health problems of his newborn son.

In 2003, the FCC, under chairman Michael Powell, relaxed broadcast-ownership rules, including the 1975 rule that banned the common ownership of a local newspaper and a TV or radio station in same local market. But one year later, a federal court rejected the changes as unjustified — a ruling cheered by those who thought the FCC had caved in to corporate interests.

“The FCC has failed to protect the interests of the American people,” Adelstein said in opening remarks.

A few-hundred people filled about three-quarters of the seats in the Portland High School auditorium, there to participate in the FCC’s first out-of-Washington session on the efforts of area broadcasters to fulfill their “localism” obligations. Ending just before midnight, the forum included expert commentary from panelists picked by the commission, followed by audience commentary that involved at least 100 speakers.

Each FCC member made opening comments, but just Copps and Adelstein spoke at the end.

Adelstein seemed to suggest that the people who complained about Portland radio and TV stations had more credibility than those who spoke in support of the local broadcasters.

“All of these stories about localism came from people who are in the broadcast industry or beneficiaries of their largess — all very noble undertakings that we heard from,” Adelstein said. “But I suspect that if it were as great as they made it out to be, we may have heard an equal outpouring from the actual viewers themselves and the listeners.”

Martin, a Republican Bush appointee who voted for the 2003 rules, indicated the agency’s next moves. Martin has consistently supported relaxation of the newspaper-broadcast ownership rule.

“I think the environment now is better than when Powell’s rules were defeated. It’s a new era. It’s an era of more oversight,” Copps said. “We have to defeat any new bad rules that may be proposed.”