Archives: Media Ownership

President Bush appointed Commissioner Kevin Martin to replace Michael Powell as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).  Read statements from consumer groups and government officials. 

Many resources are available online, read the Benton Foundation’s fact sheet on Commissioner Martin. Or visit the FCC’s Web site to see statements from other commissioners and read Martin’s previous decision papers. 

Consumer Groups React

"State regulators find Mr. Martin to be a rare Washington friend at a time when their authority is being pre-empted by other federal regulators. Publishers like his support for eliminating the rule prohibiting a company from owning a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same city. And consumer organizations say he will be more accommodating to their concerns than Mr. Powell was.

'His strength is that he's appeared sympathetic to people of differing interests,’ said Gene Kimmelman, a senior director in the Washington office of Consumers Union. 'Now we're going to find out who the real Kevin Martin is.'"

- New York Times (March 17, 2005)

"Mr. Martin’s support as FCC Commissioner of increasing media concentration and consolidation, as well as his support for expanded government regulation of program content that some find objectionable, are cause for concern to not only creative artists, but more importantly, to the American public."

– Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director, Center for Creative Voices in Media