Media Ownership Issue #1

According to Dunbar in his article, “Media ownership issues return to center stage,” Federal Communications Commission has started to discuss about whether a company can have the ownerships of both newspaper and television stations in an area. There is the Chicago-based Tribune CO., which has the ownership of Los Angeles Times and KTLA-TV, Channel 5. However, the FCC is trying to prohibit the Tribune from having the ownerships of both newspaper and television stations in the same market. The Tribune requested to be able to renew the broadcast license and keep the ownerships. The FCC is seeking advice about the ownership limits from radio and television stations, and whether one company can have cross-ownerships.

There are three issues when one company has cross-ownership; the financial trouble, the monotony, and too much pressure from politics, audience, and other media.

First, the other companies may have financial trouble if one big company has cross-ownership. If the big company broadcast unified information or news through some media such as television, newspaper, radio, and so on, audiences will often see or hear the information or news. So, many audiences believe their information or news. While the big company will get a lot of profit, other small companies will get worse.

Second, the speeches or opinions which the company which has the cross-ownership give audiences would be monotonous. Generally, a company doesn’t offer audiences various speeches or opinions. If a company owns a newspaper and television station, the company gives audiences the same speeches or opinions even through the different institution. This prevents or slows down from the offering to audiences of various information or of various opinions.

Lastly, the company which has the cross-ownership may get too much pressure from various fields such as politics, audience, and media from other countries. If the big company which has the cross-ownership reports false news in the media, the influence will be very big. The speeches or opinions in media should be made very carefully.

Consequently, not only the company but also other companies have bad effects if a company has the ownership. Other companies will lose their financial profits. Audiences cannot get various information. And then, the company has too much pressure with their speeches or opinions. It is obvious that the company should not have cross-ownership.

Reference

Dunbar, J. (2006, October 3). Media ownership issues return to center stage. The Associated Press State & Local Wire. Retrieved March 21, 2008, from Lexis Nexis database.