FCC votes to loosen ownership rules

In a vote that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin said may help to “forestall erosion of local news coverage,” the FCC commission approved a rule change that loosens its newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule. For the first time in 32 years, broadcasters in the top 20 markets could also own a newspaper, assuming a variety of conditions. The vote was along party lines. Democratic Commissioner Michael Copps said the FCC was “just inking up a rubber stamp for another round of consolidation.”