July 22, 2004
From Associated Press

MONTEREY, California -- Hundreds of media watchers and consumer advocates turned up the volume here Wednesday, telling members of the Federal Communications Commission they are not doing enough to protect local radio and television stations from corporate takeovers.

The meeting was the only West Coast hearing in a six-part series convened by FCC Chairman Michael Powell after the commission voted 3-2 last year to adopt a landmark set of rule changes that critics contended would have concentrated media ownership into even fewer hands.

Although a federal appeals court largely overturned the changes in June, the FCC has continued gathering testimony on whether local broadcasters are effectively serving their communities as it contemplates new licensing rules that affect who has access to the airwaves.

"We are here to talk about the responsiveness of a broadcasting station to represent the public interests of communities, is it the obligation of broadcasters to serve the local community," Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy told the audience at the Monterey Conference Center.

While Powell did not attend Wednesday night's hearing because of a scheduling conflict, Abernathy and fellow commissioners Michael Copps, and Jonathan Adelstein prepared to take more than four hours of comments.

"The FCC needs to create and uphold regulations giving peole free access to the airwaves and local access during prime time," said Lindsay Kelliner, a Pacific Grove, Calif. resident.

The rule changes, which would have allowed companies to own more radio and television stations in the same market, sparked a fierce debate about the ongoing concentration of media ownership. While the FCC said the old rules had become outdated, opponents said the new ones would limit the diversity of voices on the airwaves and lead to staff and local programming cuts at local broadcasting outlets.

"What we're able to cover changes and we can't often get to the bottom of local stories that really matter," said Erin Poh, California director of the Media Workers Guild.

Some speakers at Wednesday's hearing addressed the need for multilingual broadcasting and how the new regulations could affect the nation's cultural literacy.

"We need a broad definition of public and local to include Spanish speakers," Blanca Zarazua, chair of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Monterey County, told the commissioners.

Delia Saldivar, regional manager of KHDC-FM, a Salinas radio station that offers in programs in English, Spanish, Hawaiian and Tagalog, said representing linguistic minorities was something independent broadcasters were uniquely situated to do.

"I urge the FCC to look closely at the demographics of our communities," she said. "This is what it means to serve the public."

FCC commissioners were sympathetic to concerns about corporate ownership, unfair licensing procedures and community representation.

Commissioner Michael Copps acknowledged the FCC had "got it all wrong" with its original proposal.

Still, revising the current ownership rules to prevent more local broadcasting outlets from being bought out won't be an easy process, Copps said.

"The road ahead of us will be long and hard," he said.

Earlier hearings took place in North Carolina, Texas, and South Dakota this year. The remaining meetings are scheduled for Maine and Washington, D.C.