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For Consecutive Week, Disclosed Study Indicates FCC Censorship

HeadlineSep 19, 2006

And finally in media news, the Federal Communications Commission is facing new allegations of censorship following the disclosure the agency buried another critical study of media consolidation. Last week, a former FCC lawyer revealed top officials ordered staff to destroy all copies of a draft study that warned against concentration of media ownership. That report found local ownership adds almost five minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of “on-location” news. This week, the newly-discovered report argued the 1996 Telecommunications Act led to a drastic decline in the number of radio station owners — even as the number of radio stations increased. The study was never released. Both former FCC Chair Michael Powell and current Chair Kevin Martin deny ever seeing the report. In a letter sent to Martin this week, the StopBigMedia.com Coalition says the FCC should allow an independent investigation.

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