Today Kevin Martin, the head of the Federal Communications Commission, proposed loosening a longstanding ban on "cross-ownership", which prevents media companies in large markets from owning both a newspaper and a television or radio station. He even took to the op-ed page of the New York Times to argue his case. At stake, he wrote, is nothing less than the survival of the newspaper industry:
If we don't act to improve the health of the newspaper industry, we will see newspapers wither and die. Without newspapers, we would be less informed about our communities and have fewer outlets for the expression of independent thinking and a diversity of viewpoints. The challenge is to restore the viability of newspapers while preserving the core values of a diversity of voices and a commitment to localism in the media marketplace.
This seems a bit disingenuous. As Robert McChesney pointed out on Comment is Free last month, Martin's plan won't help maintain diversity but rather clear the way for further media consolidation. Give it a read.
