Lawmakers See Passage of Compromise TV Cap

[TacticalPeek]

Lawmakers See Passage of Compromise TV Cap
Tue January 20, 2004 05:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will likely soon approve a compromise that
would allow television networks to own stations that collectively reach 39 percent of the
national television audience, lawmakers said on Tuesday.

The Federal Communications Commission had set the cap at 45 percent last June, but
lawmakers who feared that would cut local reporting and reduce viewpoint diversity voted
last fall to set it at 35 percent for a year.

The Bush administration objected to the provision, which is tucked into a $375 billion
omnibus spending bill, so Senate and House Republican leaders last month agreed to
compromise at 39 percent.

Republican leaders had hoped to pass the spending measure on Tuesday, but
Democrats blocked ending debate on the bill, known as invoking cloture, in hopes of
getting the Republicans to reconsider the ownership issue and several others, including worker overtime rules.


more

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=industryNews&storyID=4171267

[mrdmk]

1. I just e-mail Reuters

This article is incorrect. Two Networks do own enough stations to cover 39 percent of the viewing audience. They are News Corp (Fox) and CBS/Viacom. Micheal Powell gave these two networks a waiver because he saw no problem with the passage of the 45 percent viewing cap. For congress to cut back to 35 percent viewing audience the two networks would have to sell some of those stations. Your article very misleading.

<snip>
Lawmakers See Passage of Compromise TV Cap
Tue January 20, 2004 05:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Senate will likely soon approve a compromise that would allow television networks to own stations that collectively reach 39 percent of the national television audience, lawmakers said on Tuesday.
<snip>