NYT: Federal Court Blocks New F.C.C. Ownership Rules!!

[FubarFly]

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 — A federal appeals court issued a surprise order today blocking the Federal Communications Commission from imposing new rules that would make it easier for the nation's largest media conglomerates to add new markets and areas of business.

The decision came a day before the new rules, considered among the most significant efforts at deregulation adopted during the Bush administration, were scheduled to take effect. It followed two hours of oral arguments at an emergency hearing this morning by a three-judge panel in Philadelphia and was a sharp setback for the largest media companies and for the commission's chairman, Michael K. Powell.

--snip--

The court's order, however, blocks all of the new rules from taking effect, at least until the outcome of the litigation, which could be many months away. The order also raises questions about whether the rules will ever be allowed to take effect.

--snip--

"I think this is great news," said Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, who is helping to lead an effort to repeal the rules in Congress. "It stops the process dead in its tracks for now. I think the court must have understood what we know: the F.C.C. embarked on these dramatic rule changes without the benefit of national hearings and thoughtful analysis."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/04/business/media/04FCC.html?hp


---

(I wonder if this is in any way related to shrubya's bad news day :shrug: )

[Thaddeus]

1. This is great news!!!

We may actually be able to beat back media monopoly.

[FubarFly]

2. Agreed.

It's a good place to start :-)

[saigon68]

20. MIKE POWELL ANOTHER LAPDOG OF THE CHIMPANZEE

Just read September's Atlantic monthly for a story about Mike Bowel and "THE AGE OF MURDOCH" scary stuff.

he's just like his Lap Dog daddy Colon Bowel.

[aquart]

11. Uh, what do we do about the ones we got now?

[Cha]

3. Zounds! Good News! Zipady Do Da Zipady De!

My oh my what a wonderful Day! Plenty of Sunshine.. Plenty of Hay!



"I think this is great news," said Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, who is helping to lead an effort to repeal the rules in Congress. "It stops the process dead in its tracks for now. I think the court must have understood what we know: the F.C.C. embarked on these dramatic rule changes without the benefit of national hearings and thoughtful analysis"

[gmoney]

8. Zidzi, Mr. Eisner's lawyer would like a word with you...

Zip-a-dee-doh-dah is a copyrighted entity of DisneyCorp and Remus Records. :)

I think it's "Plenty of sunshine headin' my way"

But I certainly agree with the sentiments. Maybe we can go back in time another 8 or ten years and bust up ClearChannel, Cox, and the other five or six media behemoths.

To quote today's Bloom County rerun, "Eat hot death, Mike Powell."

picayune.uclick.com/comics/blm/1982/blm820728.gif

[gristy]

4. This is good news - I didn't even know we were at risk!

What happened to the legislation in the Senate? The House?

[FubarFly]

9. The rules would have gone into effect before the legislation

could prevent it. This is an end-around I think many people missed.
Who knows what havoc big media could have wrought if given three or four "free" months...I'm glad we don't have to find out.

[UnapologeticLiberal]

5. Alright!

Go Philly judges! What court was this, anyway? Third Circuit, or a district court?

[meow2u3]

21. One word

Hallelujah!!!!

[gristy]

6. Here's another important snip from this article

The new rules have been opposed by a broad coalition of groups, ranging from Consumers Union and the National Organization for Women to the National Rifle Association and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Both the House and the Senate have begun the process to repeal at least one of the new rules, the one that makes it possible for the largest television networks to buy enough stations to reach 45 percent of the nation's viewers, up from 35 percent.

The court's order, however, blocks all of the new rules from taking effect, at least until the outcome of the litigation, which could be many months away. The order also raises questions about whether the rules will ever be allowed to take effect.

I think if each of us could contact some of these organizations to share with them our relief and to THANK them for taking on this lawsuit, it would help make them feel very good. They deserve our thanks!

[Nevernose]

18. When the N.O.W. and the N.R.A.

are in agreement on something -- anything -- congress had damned well better listen!

[RC]

7. North Dakota is good for something, huh?

"I think this is great news," said Senator Byron Dorgan, Democrat of North Dakota, who is helping to lead an effort to repeal the rules in Congress. "It stops the process dead in its tracks for now. I think the court must have understood what we know: the F.C.C. embarked on these dramatic rule changes without the benefit of national hearings and thoughtful analysis."

[Trek234]

10. Remember this is TEMPORARY

The battle is still on and this ruling could be gone in days.

[FubarFly]

12. True, but it's promising...

"The order also came as a surprise to the critics of the new rules, including the plaintiffs in the case, who said before this morning's hearing that their motion to stay the rules was a long shot. They said courts typically do not issue such injunctions without a finding that the plaintiffs are likely to prevail on the overall merits of a case."

--snip--

"The court today hedged on the overall merits of the case but strongly suggested through its actions that the critics had a good chance of succeeding."

---

I'll take good news where I can get it :-)

[kainah]

13. True enough, but for today, can't we savor an all too rare victory? n/t

[LittleApple81]

14. Wasn't it funny that the two Powells were on C-SPan and C-Span 2

side by side tonight?
Just reminds you of the nepotism of this government.
Colin had this smile on his face saying that they had expected to go the UN anyway...
The son was saying that the FCC is only a regulatory agency and that the media is not concentrated in the United States.

[FubarFly]

15. Kick

:kick:

[otohara]

16. Reuters Link

http://www.reuters.com/financeNewsArticle.jhtml;jsessionid=HRMQIZ5IQJWIGCRBAEKSFEY?type=businessNews&storyID=3383457

if the link doesn't work, it's headline news a Reuters' website

http://www.reuters.com/

[dfong63]

17. hooray!!!

[Sweetpea]

19. Yippee!!!!!!

:thumbsup:

[Judi Lynn]

22. How often do we get really good news?

From your N. Y. Times article:

(snip) For Mr. Powell, the decision could hardly come at a worse time. On Thursday, the Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to approve legislation that Congressional officials said today would include provisions to roll back some of the new rules already stayed by the court. The Senate Commerce Committee has adopted a similar measure. (snip/)

Woooo HOOOOOOOOOO. :bounce: :bounce: