The FCC's decision stirs
Congress to act?

Last week the FCC handed down a ruling that would allow large corporations to become even larger. The law for the last 50 years has been to restrict large media corporations from buying up smaller ones or amassing too many stations so as to limit competition, the FCC's new interpretation of the law has liberalized it so much as to overcome previous restrictions.

This action was championed by Secretary of State Colin Powell's son, who is FCC Chairman, and two other members of this five-member commission that governs communications agencies in America, among other activities.

After the change in the commission's interpretation of law, allowing media companies to purchase other media, a number of members of the Senate and the House of Representatives declared the Commission's actions in violation of a longstanding understanding of the law; they promised to reverse the action. But members of Congress are political creatures, and media is crucial to any campaigning for political office. Since the large media companies wanted the Commission's action, these congresspersons may only be sending up trial balloons to see how strong the public wants this decision reversed.

Although the Commission received thousands of phone calls, e-mails, FAX'es, etc., asking the Commission to not change the rule to allow large corporations to narrow the market and competition, the Commission paid no attention. Sources reports that 90% of those communications were from people who did not want this action. After the vote and the widespread attention that vote received, Commissioner Powell went to press and attempted to justify his and the other two commissioners' vote, saying that the regulation was long overdue for changing and updating to reflect the complexity and needs of the current market, he argued they were acting in the best interest of the nation, and that they felt good about their decision.

Michael Powell is seemingly more conservative than his father. This decison puts him in Republicans' spotlight for promotions to higher positions. But his actions show no sense of a concern he has for the impact of this vote on the Black community. Instead, the FCC's decision will make it difficult for contrary views and voices, such as Black views, to flourish in huge media where there are few independent stations.

Blacks need to tell their own stories in order to tell it correctly. Michael Powell may have faith in American media to be fair and just, and to tell their story correctly, but I and others do not. He may have made his mark with the Republicans, but he and his fellow Commissioners who voted with him did not consider the harm of their vote to the Black and Brown communities,and he has therewith made his mark on us. []

Simond Griote