MediaFile

If you think a topic like cable TV can’t stir emotions, think again. Things are beginning to boil in Washington over just that matter.

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin is today expected to receive a letter from 24 House Republicans criticizing him for a “misguided and harmful” proposal that would give the FCC more authority to regulate the cable industry.

Meanwhile, a member of the FCC on Monday dismissed criticism that the agency is moving too quickly to loosen media ownership rules. The comments came about a week after Martin unveiled a proposal that would relax the FCC’s ban on the cross-ownership of newspapers and broadcast stations in the 20 biggest U.S. cities.

The bickering stems from long-standing FCC rules that restrict media cross-ownership and ban ownership of a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same market, unless the FCC grants a waiver. Martin has said the rule changes are small and would help bolster the financial health of the newspaper industry by allowing owners in the top markets to buy a TV or radio station.

(Reuters )
(WSJ )

Keep an eye on:

• CBS News writers, producers and editors voted to authorize their labor union to call a strike after working without a contract for two years. (Reuters)
• Digital is where the growth in the music business is, but it won’t be enough to save the industry. Sales of downloads, on-demand subscription services, and ringtones won’t compensate for declining CD sales, and consumer spending overall will still wither. (Jupiter Research)
• New York city’s comptroller estimates the Big Apple is losing about $2 million per day as a Broadway stagehand strike threatens to keep theaters empty through the holiday weekend. (NYT)
• New York Times considers removing the “date” from its “datelines” in a fun-for-all time warp. (Radar)  

(Photo: Reuters)