Maine Senators vote against new FCC regulations

by Nicolas Parasie

WASHINGTON - Maine Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe voted Tuesday for a resolution that passed overwhelmingly to overturn new media ownership rules the Federal Communications Commission had approved in June.

The new FCC rules would end longstanding restrictions that prevented media companies from dominating a market with cross-ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers. Critics argue that the FCC change would allow a small number of media giants to gain total control of media markets and limit the scope of news.

The concern is greatest in small markets and rural states, such as Maine. Both senators said the problem already exists in the radio industry.

The "media consolation has eliminated much local content," Collins said Tuesday. "We cannot allow the error made in the radio industry to be repeated in broadcast and print media nationwideá.

"The FCC rule reduces the choice people have," she said. "It is not a good situation when the same company owns the largest newspaper, the local television station and the local radio station."

Snowe added that "when reports show that five companies or fewer could control about 60 percent of television households in just the next few years, we should all be very concerned."

The Senate resolution, sponsored by Sen. Byron L. Dorgan, D.-N.D., was offered under the 1996 Congressional Review Act, which allows Congress to overturn new federal rules. The "congressional veto" has been implemented just once, in 2001, when the Republican-controlled Congress and the Bush administration successfully rolled back workplace safety regulations issued by the Clinton administration.

To change the rule, the resolution, which the Senate passed, 55-40, also would require a majority in the House, as well as President Bush's signature. House Republicans have threatened to kill it.

Collins said the Senate vote sent a strong signal of disapproval to the FCC, but she added that previous opposition to the new rules was largely disregarded. "Thousands of comments that were filed in opposition to the rule were ignored by the FCC," she said.

"The FCC should have had a series of public hearings in order to give people the opportunity to voice their opinion." A federal appeals court on Sept. 3 blocked implementation of the new rules and scheduled a hearing in November.