This report assesses the state of current knowledge about the likely effects of the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC's) restrictions on the ownership of broadcasting stations and cable TV systems, to reach judgments about the desirability of modifying or eliminating existing FCC ownership regulations. It examines the evidence on the effects of group ownership of broadcast stations, concentrated regional ownership, common ownership of broadcast stations within a local market, television station-cable system cross-ownership, and telephone-cable cross-ownership. The report reaches four broad conclusions: (1) Concentrated broadcast station ownership leads neither to large operating efficiencies nor to anticompetitive behavior; (2) there is little or no basis for the FCC's group ownership rules, some support exists for rules limiting regional concentration, and stronger support exists for rules that limit cross-ownership within narrow geographic areas; (3) there is no compelling basis for lifting the telephone-cable system cross-ownership ban; and (4) present FCC rules, and many of the proposals for their repeal or modification, are often deficient because they fail to take into account actual competitive conditions.

On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission modified five of its media ownership rules, easing restrictions on the ownership of multiple television stations (nationally and in local markets) and on local media cross-ownership, and tightening restrictions on the ownership of multiple radio stations in local markets. The new rules have never gone into effect. Sec. 629 of the FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-199) instructs the FCC to modify its new National Television Ownership rule to allow a broadcast network to own and operate local broadcast stations that reach, in total, at most 39% of U.S. television households. On June 24, 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ("Third Circuit"), in Prometheus Radio Project vs. Federal Communications Commission, found the FCC did not provide reasoned analysis to support its specific local ownership limits and therefore remanded portions of the new local ownership rules back to the FCC and extended its stay of those rules. Several media companies and media associations sought appeals at the Supreme Court, based in part on challenging the continued viability of the spectrum scarcity rationale for broadcast regulation, but on June 13, 2005 the Court declined to consider the appeals. In June 2006, the FCC adopted a Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeking comment on how to address the issues raised by the Third Circuit and initiating a statutorily-required quadrennial review of all of its media ownership rules, but did not propose specific rule changes. In November 2006, the FCC announced that it had commissioned 10 economic studies of media ownership, which are expected to be completed and made available for public comment during 2007.

On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission modified five of its media ownership rules, easing restrictions on the ownership of multiple television stations (nationally and in local markets) and on local media cross-ownership, and tightening restrictions on the ownership of multiple radio stations in local markets. The new rules have never gone into effect. Sec. 629 of the FY2004 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 108-199) instructs the FCC to modify its new National Television Ownership rule to allow a broadcast network to own and operate local broadcast stations that reach, in total, at most 39% of U.S. television households. On June 24, 2004, the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ("Third Circuit"), in Prometheus Radio Project vs. Federal Communications Commission, found the FCC did not provide reasoned analysis to support its specific local ownership limits and therefore remanded portions of the new local ownership rules back to the FCC and extended its stay of those rules. Several media companies and media associations sought appeals at the Supreme Court, based in part on challenging the continued viability of the spectrum scarcity rationale for broadcast regulation, but on June 13, 2005 the Court declined to consider the appeals. On ...

Electronic Media Law and Regulation is a case-based law text that provides students with direct access to case law as well as the context in which to understand its meaning and impact. The text overviews the major legal and regulatory issues facing broadcasting, cable, and developing media in today's industry. Presenting information from major cases, rules, regulations, and legal documents in a concise and readable form, this book helps current and prospective media professsionals understand the complex realm of law and regulation. Students will learn how to avoid common legal pitfalls and anticipate situations that may have potential legal consequences. This sixth edition provides annotated cases with margin notes, and new chapters address such timely issues as media ownership, freedom of information, entertainment rights, and cyber law.