FCC Big Pushes Local Programming

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell announced Wednesday a series of initiatives aimed at ensuring broadcasters serve the communities in which they operate.

The move comes amid intense criticism of the FCC's decision in June to revamp media ownership rules, which opponents said would promote more mergers and limit local programming.

"We've heard the voice of public concern loud and clear," Powell said in a statement. "Many fear the effect that large, out-of-state media conglomerates have on the media landscape."

Powell said the FCC will form a task force that will make recommendations to the commission within a year on promoting localism in broadcasting. The FCC also will speed up the licensing of hundreds of low-powered radio stations, often run by churches, community groups and schools. And Powell directed his agency's staff to begin an inquiry seeking comment on FCC rules aimed at promoting localism.

Powell, a champion of deregulation who critics say is too pro-big business, led the Republican-dominated FCC's effort to ease decades-old rules governing ownership of newspapers and television and radio stations.

The 3-2 party-line vote on June 2 approved changes that allow individual companies to own TV stations reaching nearly half the nation's viewers and combinations of newspapers and broadcast outlets in the same area.

The vote prompted criticism from a wide range of groups and legal challenges. Opponents say the relaxed rules could lead to a handful of big companies controlling the majority of what people see, hear and read.

Lawmakers from both parties are pushing to roll back some or all of the changes, a fight that's expected to heat up when Congress returns from its August recess.

Powell said the new initiative is "an honest attempt to address the concerns raised by the public about localism during the media ownership proceeding. It is neither hollow nor political."

The FCC review leading up to the ownership rules vote divided the commission, with Powell rejecting repeated requests from Democratic commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein to delay the vote to allow for more public comment on the impact of media concentration.

Reaching out to his fellow commissioners, Powell said his colleagues "have consistently shown a deep and unwavering commitment" to advancing local views in broadcasting. He said, "I am optimistic that we will reach consensus on how the FCC can promote localism."

Powell said the localism task force will hold its first meeting in September and the public may attend.

Powell first discussed his new initiative Monday in Aspen, Colo. with a surprise announcement at a summit for technology and telecommunications leaders from industry and government.

Mel Karmazin, president of media giant Viacom Inc., said at the summit's final event on Tuesday that broadcasters already do a good job of presenting viewpoints and that "to be successful you have to serve the local community."

CBSNews.com is part of Viacom, Inc.

Major media companies said changes to the ownership rules were needed because the old regulations hindered their ability to grow and compete in a market altered by cable television, satellite broadcasts and the Internet.

The government adopted the ownership rules between 1941 and 1975 to encourage competition and prevent monopoly control of the media. In 1996, Congress required the FCC to review the rules every two years and repeal or modify any regulation determined no longer in the public interest.