Committee Votes to Block FCC Media Rule

[kayell]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20030716/ap_on_go_co/media_ownership_5

WASHINGTON - A House committee voted Wednesday to block federal regulators from letting companies purchase larger numbers of television stations, ignoring a Bush administration veto threat and handing a setback to the commercial television networks.


By a bipartisan 40-25 vote, the House Appropriations Committee voted to derail a new Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) rule that would let a single company own TV stations reaching 45 percent of American households. That new rule replaced a 35 percent limit, which has been favored by smaller broadcasters and an amalgam of groups ranging from the National Rifle Association to consumer advocates.


The Appropriations Committee's approval of the provision, which was attached to a must-pass spending bill for the Commerce, Justice and State departments, breathed new life into an effort by congressional opponents to undo the June 2 FCC (news - web sites) decision. Separate House and Senate bills to thwart the new FCC have bogged down, having run into opposition from pivotal committee chairmen.


Even so, with the White House threatening a veto, House Republican leaders backing the administration and continued opposition from the major commercial broadcast networks, the prospects for the provision approved on Wednesday were unclear.

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[hang a left]

1. I'd like to see that dork

try to veto anyting right now!

[Qutzupalotl]

2. Doesn't that mean

that one of the outlets (Viacom?) is in violation of the FCC rules now? One of them was, before the June ruling. Time to sell off some stations.