Ownership Consolidation Ripped By Speakers at FCC L.A. Hearing

[NashVegas]

http://www.allaccess.com/

You have to register for the site, but it's free. This is a large article - longer than what's on LA Times website. It's dated Oct 3.

The FCC's LOS ANGELES-EL SEGUNDO open hearing TUESDAY to hear comments from the creative community and community activists on media ownership concentrated mostly on the effects of consolidation on network TV programming, but also touched on issues like radio playlists and news coverage.

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MONA MANGAN of the WGA, EAST said that news writers are being affected by "pervasive" budget and staffing cuts and that consolidation will exacerbate the "chronic understaffing" at TV news operations nationwide.She blamed the cuts for decisions like WABC-TV/NEW YORK's bumping a story about the sentencing of ENRON and WORLDCOM executives for a story about a U2 book signing with footage provided by a publicist. MANGAN also noted ABC NEWS RADIO's production of several stories about the NATIONAL SPELLING BEE, an event televised by ABC television. WGA, WEST President PATRIC VERRONE noted that the number of companies employing writers has shrunk in the 20 years he has worked in the industry, and that six companies control most of the industry. "A diversity of contributors is essential to our nation's marketplace of ideas," VERRONE said, adding that media consolidation has led to homogenization of writing and "homogenization is good for milk but bad for ideas." He also took a shot at product placement requirements, jokingly doing a product-placement-like "plug" for VOSS water while brandishing the bottle in front of him.