Lawyer says FCC ordered study destroyed

[Newsjock]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/4187090.html

By JOHN DUNBAR
Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission ordered its staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that suggested greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage, a former lawyer at the agency says.

The report, written in 2004, came to light during the Senate confirmation hearing for FCC Chairman Kevin Martin.

Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif. received a copy of the report "indirectly from someone within the FCC who believed the information should be made public," according to Boxer spokeswoman Natalie Ravitz.

Adam Candeub, now a law professor at Michigan State University, said senior managers at the agency ordered that "every last piece" of the report be destroyed. "The whole project was just stopped -- end of discussion," he said. Candeub was a lawyer in the FCC's Media Bureau at the time the report was written and communicated frequently with its authors, he said.

more

[indepat]

1. Surely that's obstructing something

[MADem]

2. Now that's destruction of government property, there, and not a nice thing

for some asshole to do.

How nice that someone slipped BB a copy...!

In a letter sent to Martin Wednesday, Boxer said she was "dismayed that this report, which was done at taxpayer expense more than two years ago, and which concluded that localism is beneficial to the public, was shoved in a drawer."

Martin said he was not aware of the existence of the report, nor was his staff. His office indicated it had not received Boxer's letter as of midafternoon Thursday.

In the letter, Boxer asked whether any other commissioners "past or present" knew of the report's existence and why it was never made public. She also asked whether it was "shelved because the outcome was not to the liking of some of the commissioners and/or any outside powerful interests?"

The report, written by two economists in the FCC's Media Bureau, analyzed a database of 4,078 individual news stories broadcast in 1998. The broadcasts were obtained from Danilo Yanich, a professor and researcher at the University of Delaware, and were originally gathered by the Pew Foundation's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The analysis showed local ownership of television stations adds almost five and one-half minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of "on-location" news. The conclusion is at odds with FCC arguments made when it voted in 2003 to increase the number of television stations a company could own in a single market. It was part of a broader decision liberalizing ownership rules.

....

[anotherdrew]

3. the FCC didn't order this, a BUSH appointee did... who? n/t

[Hosnon]

5. Well the head of the FCC would be a Bush appointee. nt

[onenote]

11. In 2004, Michael Powell was still chairman

He was originally nominated for a seat on the FCC by Clinton, and then elevated to Chairman in 2001 by chimpy

[rodeodance]

4. well well, now what will happen?

[maxsolomon]

9. realistic prediction:

memory hole

[madrchsod]

13. 0-nada-nil-nothing.........

nothing will come of this. there is so much shit to shovel it`s impossible to keep up

[hvn_nbr_2]

15. "Some people say" that there was such a report...

but the FCC's own internal review proves that it never existed.
:sarcasm:

[Supersedeas]

6. compassionate conservatism at work here??

[dbt]

7. The fine hand of Michael Powell at work here?

Didn't he leave the FCC to spend more time with his family? Or was that another soap opera?

:evilgrin:
dbt
Remember New Orleans

[Mel]

19. Powell left to make more money

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Powell_(politician)

Later life

Powell resigned as Chairman of the FCC on January 21, 2005. He said that he was glad to spend more time with his wife. In March 2006, Powell became a Trustee of the RAND Corporation. He is now a member of the Board of Visitors at his alma mater, the College of William and Mary. On April 21, 2006, Powell was elected the Rector of the Board of Visitors, making him the first African-American to serve in that post in the College's 313 year history.</snip>

From the Rand site: http://www.rand.org/news/press.06/03.28b.html
Powell is a senior advisor at Providence Equity Capital and chairman of the MK Powell Group. He was appointed a member of the Federal Communications Commission in 1997 and served as FCC chairman from 2001 to 2005.

Providence Equity Capital http://www.provequity.com/
Providence Equity Partners Inc. is a private investment firm specializing in equity investments in communications and media companies around the world. The principals of Providence Equity manage funds with over $9.0 billion in equity commitments, including Providence Equity Partners V, a $4.25 billion private equity fund, and have invested in more than 80 companies operating in over 20 countries. Providence Equity currently has offices in Providence, Rhode Island, London, England, and New York, New York.

Our objective is to create value by building lasting partnerships with talented entrepreneurs and by providing them with the capital, industry expertise and broad network of relationships necessary to build companies that will shape the future of the communications and media industries. To achieve our goal, we invest in companies with compelling growth opportunities and partner with management teams looking for more than capital.

Our current and previous areas of investment include wireless and wireline telephony, cable television content and distribution, publishing, radio and television broadcasting, and other media and communications sectors.

Providence Equity's target investment size per transaction is $20 to $500 million. In addition, the fund's institutional limited partners have co-invested directly with us in transactions that require substantially greater funding.

Ah, lovely he's helping spread the Neo Con corporatista agenda by controlling the medias message world wide.



From the posted article of course he knew about the study, he ordered it, Powell didn't like the results so he had it destroyed.

<snip>The 2003 action sparked a backlash among the public and within Congress. In June 2004, a federal appeals court rejected the agency's reasoning on most of the rules and ordered it to try again. The debate has since been reopened, and the FCC has scheduled a public hearing on the matter in Los Angeles on Oct. 3.

The report was begun after then-Chairman Michael Powell ordered the creation of a task force to study localism in broadcasting in August of 2003. Powell stepped down from the commission and was replaced by Martin in March 2005. Powell did not return a call seeking comment.</snip>

[rodeodance]

8. Here is summary of the Report:

.......The report, written by two economists in the FCC's Media Bureau, analyzed a database of 4,078 individual news stories broadcast in 1998. The broadcasts were obtained from Danilo Yanich, a professor and researcher at the University of Delaware, and were originally gathered by the Pew Foundation's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The analysis showed local ownership of television stations adds almost five and one-half minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of "on-location" news. The conclusion is at odds with FCC arguments made when it voted in 2003 to increase the number of television stations a company could own in a single market. It was part of a broader decision liberalizing ownership rules.

At that time, the agency pointed to evidence that "commonly owned television stations are more likely to carry local news than other stations."

When considering whether to loosen rules on media ownership, the agency is required to examine the impact on localism, competition and diversity. The FCC generally defines localism as the level of responsiveness of a station to the needs of its community..........

[young_at_heart]

10. Secrecy is the name of the game

I believe this administration will go down in history as THE most secretive ever. What does that say about the state of the GOP?

[Tellurian]

12. This IS BIG..

and should envoke plenty of lawsuits from businesses (private sector) shut out of the game.

[intheflow]

14. "It was part of a broader decision liberalizing ownership rules."

So that's what the GOP means by the "liberal" media! x(

[The Backlash Cometh]

16. So we have a whistle blower who saved the draft?

At what point can we hold all of Bush's politico appointments accountable for the disservice they've committed against the public?

[KoKo]

17. What will come of this. It's dreadful and we need to do something...but

what? Who in the Media will keep this report from going dead? Without an echo chamber it becomes a one day wonder and Bushco will go after the Whistleblower trying to put them in Gitmo.

[Wilms]

18. K&R n/t

[0007]

20. How many Americans will read this and understand its impact?

The report, written by two economists in the FCC's Media Bureau, analyzed a database of 4,078 individual news stories broadcast in 1998. The broadcasts were obtained from Danilo Yanich, a professor and researcher at the University of Delaware, and were originally gathered by the Pew Foundation's Project for Excellence in Journalism.

The analysis showed local ownership of television stations adds almost five and one-half minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of "on-location" news. The conclusion is at odds with FCC arguments made when it voted in 2003 to increase the number of television stations a company could own in a single market. It was part of a broader decision liberalizing ownership rules.

At that time, the agency pointed to evidence that "commonly owned television stations are more likely to carry local news than other stations."

More can be read at the original post.

[Coexist]

21. ::: VIDEO of Boxer addressing this up on YouTube :::

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vT0AIJkO-aM