FCC commissioner Michael Copps said he has concerns regarding the proposed deal for Rupert Murdoch to acquire Dow Jones.
“It’s interesting to hear the ‘experts’ claim the [Dow Jones] transaction faces no regulatory hurdles,” Copps said in a statement last week. However, “this deal means more media consolidation and fewer independent voices, and it specifically impacts the local market in New York City.”
Current FCC rules say the same company can’t own a daily newspaper and television station in the same market. Murdoch’s News Corp. controls two TV stations in the New York City area. It also owns the “New York Post,” for which it has a waiver.
“What’s good for shareholders of huge media conglomerates isn’t always what’s good for the public interest or our civic dialogue,” Copps said.
The commissioner, a leading critic of media consolidation, said the FCC should conduct a careful factual and legal analysis of the transaction to determine how it implicates regulatory rules and the FCC’s statutory obligation to protect the public interest.
“I hope nobody views this as a slam-dunk,” Copps said.
