Advocates of ending the FCC newspaper-broadcast cross ownership (...

“All other rules have been updated since” the mid-70s NBCO ban, he said. The FCC’s 2003 lifting of the rule was backed by 3rd U.S. Appeals Court, Philadelphia in its remand of the agency’s last media ownership rulemaking, he said. “The court there agreed with the Commission that an outright prohibition was no longer necessary,” Martin said: “So the Commission is going to have to come up with some new rule.” He hopes to hold the 3rd of 6 FCC field hearings on revamping media ownership rules in Feb. or March, he said. He didn’t say where it will be; industry officials have said it may be in Me. Ten media ownership studies commissioned by the FCC will be ready in the spring, Martin said. Most filing reply comments in the media ownership review agreed the NBCO ban is outdated. Filers, including Belo, Media General and the Newspaper Assn. of America, criticized those who argued that NBCO rules should stay because burgeoning online media hasn’t shrunk the role of broadcasters and print publications. “The vast majority of commenters providing empirical data and reasoned analysis support elimination of the flat ban on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership as well as relaxing of the local TV cross-ownership rule,” Belo said, citing Cox, Gray, Gannett, Hearst-Argyle, Nexstar, Sinclair and Tribune. “A small handful of parties persist in attempting to persuade the Commission that the media marketplace has not changed in any meaningful respect over the past three decades,” Belo said. Among those disagreeing are a slew of trade groups saying they represent “free community papers” and the National Assn. of Black Owned Broadcasters. Those arguing for overturning the NBCO are “generally ignoring the historic waves of consolidation,” said Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Assn. The African- American broadcasters group said the FCC shouldn’t relax ownership limits, and asked the agency to “continue to urge Congress to reinstate the minority tax certificate policy.” That’s just what the FCC has done, telling lawmakers several times over the years that it would back restoration of the tax credit, Martin said. Ultimately, it’s Congress’s decision, Martin said.