Page Options

	Print This Page
	Email This Page
	RSS Subscription

Sheila Owens
NAA VP of Strategic Communications
(571) 366-1089
Sheila.Owens@naa.org

July 22, 2003

Vienna, Va. – The Newspaper Association of America applauds members of the U.S. House of Representatives for rejecting the Hinchey-Price-Inslee Amendment to the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill (H.R. 2799) that sought to reverse the FCC’s well-reasoned June 2 decision to ease the newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership ban. The vote was 254-174 against the amendment. It is the second time in a week that an amendment to roll back the Federal Communications Commission’s new cross-ownership rules was defeated in the House.

“Newspapers around the country are encouraged by the bipartisan rejection of an effort to reinstate antiquated and discriminatory rules that prohibited only newspapers from owning broadcast outlets in their markets,” said NAA President and CEO John F. Sturm. “The FCC rule changes on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership are based on solid evidence and will greatly serve the public interest in a way that is consistent with the commission’s competition, localism and diversity goals. The record showed clearly that newspaper-owned TV stations around the county that were ‘grandfathered’ when the rules went into effect do more and better local news than any other stations.  That’s conclusive proof of unmistakable benefits for the public.

“Congress directed the FCC to review the ownership rules, first promulgated in the 1970s, and consider changes consistent with competition in the new media marketplace. After six years of review and public comments, the FCC acted, and we are delighted that the House decided to uphold those changes,” Sturm said. 

Last week, during consideration of the same appropriations measure, the House Appropriations Committee voted down a similar amendment that would have prohibited the FCC from expending funds to implement the relaxed newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership rule.

NAA is a nonprofit organization representing more than 2,000 newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. Most NAA members are daily newspapers, accounting for 87 percent of the U.S. daily circulation. Headquartered in Tysons Corner (Vienna, Va.), the Association focuses on six key strategic priorities that affect the newspaper industry collectively: marketing, public policy, diversity, industry development, newspaper operations and readership. Information about NAA and the industry may also be found at the Association’s World Wide Web site on the Internet at www.naa.org.

-30-