Press, Public & Politics

Ownership, Regulation, andGuidance of Media

Overview

• Ownership of Media

• Media Regulation

Print

Non Print

• Guidance

•How important is media ownership?

•Should ownership be public (i.e., the government) or private (individual investors/corporations)?

Ownership

Ownership

• Advantages of Government Control

• Disadvantages?

Ownership

• 1934 Communications Act

-- Created the FCC

-- Required licensing for broadcast rights

-- Limited ownership of licenses

-- Standardized telephone infrastructure regulations (strongly favoring AT&T, the dominant player in the field)

Ownership• 1996 Telecommunications Act:

• Complete overhaul of federal policy in 5 key areas:

1.radio and television broadcasting

2.cable television

3.telephone services

4.internet and online computer services

5.telecommunications equipment manufacturing

Radio & Television- Removed limits on number of stations that

individuals or companies can own

- Lengthened licensing to 8 years

- Changed application policy to favor incumbent licensees over new applicants* *competing applications are rejected unless FCC determines that current licensee has not fulfilled terms of license.

- Implemented ratings for sexual and/or violent content

Cable and Telephone

• Lifted rate caps on cable subscriptions if cable had competition from alternative providers

• Telephone providers can use lines to provide video and/or audio programming

• Each of the 7 regional Bell companies can now offer long distance service (for first time since 1984 break up of AT&T)

• Long distance carriers can provide local service

• Title V of the Act included the “Communications Decency Act” which made internet pornography illegal

• Included criminal penalties for anyone distributing material objectionable to minors

• This section later ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court (Reno vs. ACLU [1997])

Internet and Online Computer Services

Media Ownership

•Media Consolidation 2006

•Data from The Nation

•Data from Mother Jones

Media Ownership

•What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of greater media concentration?

Regulation•Media regulation in

terms of content is limited by proscriptions of the First Amendment, with some exceptions:

• national security

– censorship permissible if protects national security

Regulation

•“fair trial” issues

– protect witnesses

– protect accused

Regulation

• “Beyond the Pale” unprotected press:

• Libel

• Pornography

Regulation

•Print vs Non-print media

– Print has greater protection

– Non-print, distinction between finite and non-finite transmission mode

Broadcast vs cable/satellite

More restrictions on broadcast

Regulation

•The licensing provision provides an alternative means to regulate content and performance.

•For instance: educational programming, “equal time” provisions, program content ratings, “v-chip” blocking have all been required at various points in US history.

Regulation

•Regulation of media is also provided by non-government sources:

•Market

•Media watchdog groupse.g., AIM, FAIR,

MediaMatters

•Citizen pressure groups“Itchy & Scratchy & Marge”

Regulation

•The licensing provision provides an alternative means to regulate content and performance.

•For instance: educational programming, “equal time” provisions, program content ratings, “v-chip” blocking have all been required at various points in US history.