The FCC’s Media Ownership Decision One Year Later

On June 2, 2003, the Federal Communications Commission voted to relax its rules governing media ownership. The move unleashed a firestorm of criticism from many quarters, and the debate over media regulation continues to rage today on Capitol Hill, at the FCC, and in the courts. Concerns about media competition, diversity, and “localism” drive the backlash to the relaxation of the rules. Are those concerns legitimate? Are current ownership rules helping or hindering the development of more competition and choice? Should Congress take further action, or will court decisions and FCC revisions of the rules handle the issue from here?Andrew Schwartzman and Adam Thierer will debate the current state of the modern media marketplace and answer questions about the regulations that govern this important sector.