Members from the Federal Communications Commission hosted a meeting on ownership rules for media companies on the University of South Florida's Tampa campus on Tuesday afternoon, as they contemplate allowing corporations more opportunities to take over broadcast outlets.
Apparently not that many people care.
Though that was our take as less than 50 people were in attendance at the all day event, but Brandy Doyle, Regulatory Policy Associate with the Prometheus Radio Project, begs to differ.
Doyle, who has been attending such workshops over the past year, said it " was actually quite large for an FCC event with no Commissioners present and no publicity in the newspapers or on TV."
The meeting, which lasted four and a half hours (though this correspondent could only make it through 4 hours, as we then ventured to a debate between Hillsborough Republicans hoping to take on Kathy Castor this fall), featured representatives from several local media groups, several FCC officials, and members of the public, who were given (more than) ample time to ask questions and have an exchange with officials about cross-ownership, and various other aspects of media law.
Sitting on the dais with a bullseye seemingly attached to him was John Schueler, President of the Florida Communications Group with Media General, the Virginia based corporate owner of the Tampa Tribune, WFLA News Channel 8, and TBO.Com, an example of cross-ownership that the FCC said they came to Tampa to learn more about as a future model.
The afternoon began with 10 minute presentations by those on the panel, such as La Gaceta's Publisher and Editor Patrick Manteiga, who said "The leverage of having the county's major daily newspaper and a TV station allows their representatives to get in the door of major advertisers where single publication enterprises like mine are barred…..The promises of cross-owners and conglomerates are not reality. The Tampa Tribune is fading away at a faster rate than most dailies even with the heft of a television station at its side. Radio has no diversity of voice. It's either salacious or blaring out of only the right speaker."
This article appears in Apr 21-27, 2010.