Untitled Document
Two liberal House members who recently have been critical of what they view as
attempts by conservative Republicans to take over America’s mass media and
public broadcasting have now introduced a sweeping bill that would reregulate
radio and TV back to the days before the 1996 Telecommunications Act.
The Media Ownership Reform Act of 2005 (MORA) is co-sponsored by Reps. Maurice
Hinchey, D-N.Y. and Diane Watson, D-Calif. In a written announcement, MORA is
described as legislation “that seeks to undo the massive consolidation
of the media that has been ongoing for nearly 20 years.”
The measure would restore the Fairness doctrine, reinstate a national cap on
radio ownership and lower the number of radio stations a company can own in
a local market. It also reinstates a 25% national television ownership cap and
requires stations to submit regular public interest reports to the Federal Commnications
Commission.
