Few Show Interest in FCC Ownership Workshop

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Little interest was shown by the public as the FCC held its Media Ownership Workshop Tuesday afternoon at the University of South Florida in Tampa. The 4-hour hearing focused on the impact of newspaper-radio cross-ownership ban but drew only 35 in public attendance. A similar workshop held in Tampa in 2007 saw hundreds turn out to protest against cross-ownership.

The FCC heard from an 11-member panel of local media representatives. The panel included some critics of cross-ownership as well as representation from a company that owns both a newspaper and television station in the same market.

Media General's Florida Communications Group President John R. Schueler said that its grandfathered (1975) ownership of the Tampa Tribune, WFLA-TV and TBO.com had produced a successful business model that made it possible to continue funding journalism.

WTSP-TV General Manager Ken Tonning said the government should get out of the way in these tough economic times and allow media companies to find innovative ways to operate while acknowledging newsroom layoffs and budget cuts. He, however, said the company's newsrooms in Tampa would have been even more affected without the benefits of owning both a newspaper and a TV outlet.

Newspaper Guild President Bernard Lunzer argued that consolidation of media outlets leads to less content, fewer journalists and less diversity in newsrooms. "It [eliminating the ban] will speed up the demise of journalism while preserving a cash flow for some," he added.