Goodmon & Goodmon Fight Against the FCC
The rapper Eminem isn’t the only one singing, “The FCC won’t let me be,” these days. Small local broadcasters, a contingent of Congressmen and a host of others are urging the Federal Communications Commission not to lift the 35% media ownership cap. If nothing else, these voices would like for the FCC to postpone its June 2 deadline to present its updated rules.
Jimmy Goodmon, WRAL-TV’s Programming & Special Projects Manager and son of Capitol Broadcasting President & CEO Jim Goodmon, recently spoke with Metro Magazine‘s Rick Smith about the dangers of de-regulating the broadcasting industry. In an article entitled, “FCC threatens to erase limits on conglomerates, Jimmy Goodmon Fights To Keep CBC All In the Family,” Smith quoted the younger Goodmon at length about the impending FCC vote.
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FCC Chairman Michael Powell plans to vote on the new media ownership rules on June 2nd. He and the two other Republican members of the Commission are expected to vote to lift the 35% ownership cap and relax other regulations. Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, the two Democrats of the five members, are expected to vote against loosening restrictions.
On Wednesday, May 14, more than 90 Democratic lawmakers asked the FCC to put the June 2 vote on hold. The letter signed by the group requests the FCC gather more public opinion. Also, four GOP members of the Senate Commerce Committee asked the FCC to retain the 35% cap.
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“Localism is a very important concept to me,” Goodmon told Smith. “What the networks want to do is kill all localism, to generate cookie-cutter news from one part of the world.” “If the FCC were to lift the limits,” Goodmon continued, “a network which is already at maximum capacity could come slamming down on us. The networks would have the ability to crush those of us who are left [Smith cited Goodmon referred to independent, smaller companies]. That’s where it gets scary-when you can’t control it.”
The article also spoke of the elder Goodmon’s participation on several panels to argue against lifting the ownership cap. Smith also interviewed UNC-TV’s Director & General Manager Tom Howe about the same de-localization threat facing public television.
