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Washington, D.C. - A group of 34 House Democrats today called on Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Inspector General Kent R. Nilsson to conduct an investigation into the recent revelation that the agency hid two studies on media consolidation from the public after the results of those studies didn't support the Bush administration's goal of further weakening the limits on media ownership. One of the studies illustrates the negative impact media consolidation has on the American public's ability to receive local and diverse news coverage, while the other demonstrates the marked decrease in the diversity of radio station ownership in America.
Led by Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), Congressman David Price (D-NC), Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-OH), the House Democrats asked for Nilsson to recommend possible disciplinary action against agency officials for apparent suppressing the studies from public consumption at a time when the FCC is working to further consolidate media ownership.
"If one or both of these reports were suppressed because they did not support official FCC policy, such actions could not only constitute fraud, but could also run counter to the FCC’s stated goals of transparency and public involvement in its media ownership proceedings," the 34 House Democrats wrote in a letter sent today to Nilsson. "We believe that a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding the possible suppression of these reports is essential if the FCC is to be perceived as acting in good faith on media ownership issues by Congress and the American people."
The first study in question concluded that, "locally owned television broadcast stations air more local news than network owned-and-operated and non-locally owned stations, even adjusting for the number of stations owned by the corporate parent." This finding ran contrary to what FCC officials were publicly saying in 2002 and 2003 as the agency worked to change media ownership rules to allow just a handful of individuals and corporations to own all of the media outlets in the country, which would have resulted in less locally owned media outlets. The FCC's media ownership rule changes were found illegal by a federal court in 2003. Three years later, the agency is now once again undertaking the issue of media ownership.
"The FCC does not want to play fairly when it comes to media ownership. By apparently suppressing information that showed the clear negative impacts of media consolidation, the FCC sought to limit the information the American people and Congress had to counter the administration's agenda of reducing media ownership diversity," said Hinchey, who is the founder and chairman of the Future of American Media Caucus. "Just as this White House did in the lead up to the war in Iraq, if information supports its desired outcome then the administration will release it to the public, but if information contradicts the administration's desired outcome then it is shelved and barred from public consumption. This is not how a democracy is supposed to function. The information and knowledge this country has, the better off it will be."
Price said, “If these allegations of suppressed studies are true, they are part of a disturbing pattern of the Bush administration twisting the facts to further its own policy objectives. Good public policy is supposed to reflect what is best for the American people. If the FCC can’t be trusted to present the results of its own studies to the public, how can it be trusted to act in the public’s interest when it comes to the ownership of our airwaves?"
The second study in question found that between 1996 and early 2003, the number of commercial radio stations increased by 5.9 percent, yet the number of station owners fell by an extraordinary 35 percent. The House Democrats noted that the report on the sharp decline in diverse radio station ownership was produced and hidden from the public at the exact time the FCC was working to loosen the ownership rules for newspapers and television stations. By hiding the report from the public, the House Democrats argue that the FCC was able to better advance its media consolidation agenda.
“The suppression of these studies is extremely disturbing. FCC Chairman Martin should personally oversee an investigation into the alleged cover-up, account for any other studies that may have been suppressed, take appropriate disciplinary action against the wrongdoers, and establish procedures to ensure this never happens again. The FCC, like every other agency of government, is accountable to the people,” said Baldwin.
Brown added, "If these allegations are true, the FCC undermined its own credibility and breached the public trust. Whether the goal was to deflect criticism or protect the interests of multinational media conglomerates, the FCC cannot suppress information at the expense of Americans. I hope the Inspector General will conduct an expeditious, thorough investigation of these allegations so that those responsible can be held accountable."
The full text of the letter from the 34 House Democrats to Nilsson follows:
September 21, 2006
The Honorable Kent R. Nilsson, Ph.D., J.D.
Inspector General
Federal Communications Commission
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Dear Inspector General Nilsson:
We are writing to express our grave concern about recent revelations that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may have intentionally suppressed two important studies on the impact of media consolidation during the term of former FCC Chairman Michael Powell.
The reports in question were a 2004 draft working paper that examined the relationship between media ownership and local news coverage, and a 2003 draft report titled “Review of the Radio Industry.” The first report concluded that “locally owned television broadcast stations air more local news than network owned-and-operated and non-locally owned stations, even adjusting for the number of stations owned by the corporate parent.” This conclusion appears to contradict arguments made by the FCC during the agency’s 2002-2003 media ownership rulemaking process.
The second report found that between 1996 and early 2003, the number of commercial radio stations on the air rose 5.9 percent while the number of station owners fell 35 percent. The study’s dramatic evidence of radio industry consolidation, had it been publicly available, would almost certainly have called into question the loosening of newspaper and television ownership rules finalized by the FCC in June 2003.
If one or both of these reports were suppressed because they did not support official FCC policy, such actions could not only constitute fraud, but could also run counter to the FCC’s stated goals of transparency and public involvement in its media ownership proceedings. We believe that a full accounting of the circumstances surrounding the possible suppression of these reports is essential if the FCC is to be perceived as acting in good faith on media ownership issues by Congress and the American people. We urge you to quickly initiate a thorough investigation, as requested by FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, to ascertain whether these reports were suppressed, identify the parties involved, and recommend any appropriate disciplinary actions.
Thank you for your time and attention. We look forward to your reply.
Sincerely,
Maurice Hinchey, David Price, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown (and 30 of their House colleagues)
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