Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: SeachRE who wrote (453068)	9/5/2003 10:30:05 AM
From: Skywatcher	Respond to of 769670

Calling and writing your Congressional Reps and Senators PAYS OFF>>>>>BUSH DEFEATED ALONG WITH HIS CORPORATE COMMUNICATION CRONIES Senate Panel Acts to Block TV Ownership Rule September 5, 2003 By STEPHEN LABATON WASHINGTON, Sept. 4 - A Senate committee today unanimously approved a spending measure with a provision that would block a rule allowing the nation's largest television networks to grow bigger by buying more stations. The decision by the Senate Appropriations Committee moved the Republican-controlled Congress a big step closer to a rare rebuke of both the Bush administration and the Federal Communications Commission, which in June adopted new regulations to permit the biggest media conglomerates to grow even larger. The lopsided vote - only one member of the committee spoke against the provision - makes it likely that the measure will be approved by the full Senate. Advisers to President Bush have recommended that he veto a similar spending bill approved by the House that contains the television ownership provision, a move that would clearly anger Congressional Republicans who want to roll back the new F.C.C. regulations. A White House spokeswoman, Claire Buchan, said the administration had not issued a formal statement on the Senate bill and continued "to oppose rolling back the media ownership rules." She said the White House would "work with Congress to seek to have the legislation reflect our views." But that may be difficult because Senator Ted Stevens of Alaska, the head of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said today that he had written the provision in such a way that it could not be altered in a House-Senate conference. Critics of the new rules said the latest action added important legislative momentum to the efforts to repeal major elements of the regulations. The committee's decision was the second significant setback in two days for Michael K. Powell, the chairman of the F.C.C. and architect of the new media ownership rules, and his industry supporters. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court in Philadelphia issued a surprise order blocking the rules, which were scheduled to go into effect today. The unanimous decision by a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit could prevent media companies from moving forward with plans to take advantage of the new rules for many months. "Michael Powell is sitting with egg all over his face this week," said Gene Kimmelman, a senior director at Consumers Union, a member of a large group of organizations lobbying against the new rules. "The Congress rebukes him and a court blocks his rules in just two days." David Fiske, a spokesman for the F.C.C., declined to comment on the day's developments. The $38 billion spending bill approved today was similar to one adopted by the House two months ago by a vote of 400 to 21. The language in the television ownership provision is identical in both measures. The provision prevents the agency from spending money to carry out the new rule, which would permit the networks to buy stations that reach 45 percent of the nation's television viewers, up from 35 percent. Mr. Stevens, who sponsored the provision, said he deliberately copied the House language to make it impossible for the F.C.C.'s supporters to strip the provision when the measures are reconciled in a House-Senate conference committee. "We've taken the issue out of conference," Mr. Stevens said. There was no debate on the provision and only a brief discussion about whether to extend the ban to other new media ownership rules. Only one senator on the Appropriations Committee, Sam Brownback, Republican of Kansas, issued a statement objecting to the provision. A group of Democrats and Republicans, meanwhile, announced that they intended to introduce an amendment when the bill reaches the floor of the Senate to block a second F.C.C. rule. That rule would permit a company to own both a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same city. Support for that amendment was voiced today by Democrats Byron L. Dorgan of North Dakota and Patty Murray of Washington and Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas. "The F.C.C. rules could have a bad effect by reducing the diversity of viewpoints," Ms. Murray said. Mr. Stevens said he would oppose the amendment but could not block it from consideration. Both supporters and opponents of the amendment say the vote appears close, and there has been heavy lobbying from industry officials who want to preserve the new rule and a broad coalition of organizations opposed to it. The legislation approved today is one of several measures that have been introduced to stop the F.C.C. from going forward with the new rules, the most important media regulations in a generation. nytimes.com