Media Consolidation Seen on Menu in Election

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Media and telecommunications mergers would likely face greater scrutiny by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) if Sen. John Kerry (news - web sites) wins next week's presidential election, industry analysts and lobbyists say.

If President Bush (news - web sites) is reelected, these experts expect the FCC (news - web sites) to continue freeing companies from regulation and pushing competition between cable, wireless, telephone and satellite systems, rather than within each mode.
..........
If Kerry is elected, most expect the interim chairman to be Democrat Commissioner Michael Copps, who has railed against media consolidation, indecency, and how deregulating the telephone industry has hurt competition.

Copps "has some pretty clear views that the FCC's current deregulatory path is the wrong path," said Paul Glenchur, an analyst at Schwab SoundView. "That's not great news for the Bells," referring to the major local telephone carriers.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=615&ncid=696&e=1&u=/nm/20041029/pl_nm/campaign_fcc_dc

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. Another reason we need Kerry, he'll reign in the media's crap!

[RedEarth]

2. Folks, this is one of the most important issues facing us.....

We need Kerry in there so some of these media gaints can either be busted up or at the very least kept from growing even larger.