The National Association of Black Journalists called on Congress to reverse this week’s FCC decision to partially relax the cross-ownership ban.
The commission voted to allow one company to own both a daily newspaper and either a TV or radio station in the same market in the top 20 Nielsen DMAs, under certain criteria.
NABJ believes media ownership should reflect the racial and ethnic makeup of society and that such a decision prohibits such diversity. The group says with increasing consolidation, the number of minority station owners will drop.
Following the decision, some Democratic and Republican members of the House and Senate proposed legislation reversing the FCC’s actions.
“The American people deserve to get their news from a variety of sources,” said Kathy Times, NABJ vice president of broadcast.
