Radio and Media Policy

Some may ask why care about the radio and media (radio) policy? Because the radio shapes our views on the issues that we care most about. All our opinions are formed by information — and while some of that information may come from personal experience, we get much of what we know from the (radio). There must not be a deregulation; it would be detrimental to us all.

Toomey’s argument is that radio is a community resource that is being misused, and she is a making a call to action for people to get involved with restoring that resource. According to Billboard Bulletins, one of the most important arguments presented by those opposing the deregulation, a letter signed by 30 major recording artists was sent to Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The letter is in response to probable FCC plans to eradicate remaining cross-ownership rules. The letter warns Powell that further deregulation of the radio industry will have a negative impact on access to diverse viewpoints and will impede the functioning of our democracy. The artists say that previous radio deregulation has backfired, resulting in reduced marketplace competition, reduced programming diversity and the homogenization of play lists, reduced public access to the airwaves for local programming, and reduced public satisfaction with listening options.

Deregulating the industry will decrease the amount of market place competition. There is little proof that any deregulation of the industry has ever lead to increased market competition. Common sense says that there is really no way decreasing the number of competitors on the market will increase competition.

According to the Chicago Maroon this possible deregulation stands to abolish six key rules on media ownership limits, including a newspaper/television cross-ownership rule (no firm can own a newspaper and TV station in the same market), a cap on radio ownership (no firm can own more than 8 radio stations in a single market), and a cap on TV network ownership (no firm can own more than one of the four major TV networks). Removing any or all of these rules would likely unleash a huge wave of consolidation of commercial media firms and make our schlock-driven and commercially-saturated mass media yet more schlock-driven and commercially-saturated. There can only be few who want this deregulation to take place, the owners and shareholders of these billion dollar companies who want to fill their pockets even more full.