FCC Chairman Michael Powell defended the new broadcast media ownership rules that the commission adopted in June.
He said in a statement, "We created enforceable rules that reflect the realities of today's media marketplace. The rules will benefit Americans by protecting localism, competition and diversity."
The FCC spent 20 months developing the rules in a proceeding mandated by Congress and the courts. On Feb. 19, 2002, a federal court had branded the previous commission's decision to maintain the existing rules, including the 35 percent TV cap, as "arbitrary and capricious and contrary to law."