Cross-Media Rivals Don’t Worry Broadcasters

Local broadcasters are generally unconcerned that they may be at a disadvantage from in-market rivals with cross-media holdings — radio and TV or broadcast stations and newspapers, according to survey of those broadcasters.

The attitude prevails among minority and female broadcasters as well as non-minority, male broadcasters, the survey found.

The survey was conducted by BIA/Kelsey and commissioned by the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council.

The findings are based on the results from 14 respondents, eight from minority or women-owned companies and six from non-minority-men owned companies, BIA/Kelsey said.

“While we would have preferred to have received more responses, we believe that the responses that we did receive indicated there is no difference in the views of the two groups of stations towards the impact of these cross-media operations,” BIA/Kelsey says.

“We were struck by the lack of any large concern by almost all of the respondents to these cross-media operations.”

MMTC is submitting the survey result to the FCC as the commission considers a major rewrite of its ownership restrictions. On the table is a staff proposal to relax the broadcast-newspaper limits, but also bar arrangements that allow TV broadcasters to operate second and third stations in markets where they are not under the rules allowed to own them outright.

Before voting on new rules, MMTC suggested the agency ask for a round of comments on the survey results. With the FCC now being run by an interim chairperson, Mignon Clyburn, action on the ownership proceeding is not expected any time soon.