Rep. Maurice Hinchey, D-NY, introduced the Media Ownership Reform Act of 2004. The bill to reduce media concentration and ensure broadcasters meet their public interest requirements.
“The current state of today’s media threatens the ability of our democracy to function because it does not allow for the wide dissemination of information from diverse sources and viewpoints, thereby shrinking the marketplace of ideas,” said Hinchey.
If passed, the bill would: strike down the FCC’s new media ownership rules passed by the commission June 2 and now suspended due to court appeals; restore the Fairness Doctrine and roll back the TV audience cap to 35%.
For radio, the measure would prevent any single entity from owning more than 5% of the total number of AM and FM broadcast radio stations
Nationally. The measure also seeks to set “reasonable limits” on the percentage of radio stations one company can control in a single market.
Hinchey Seeks to Reform Media Ownership Laws
Hinchey Seeks to Reform Media Ownership Laws