FCC to Hold Hearing on Ownership Rules

Bowing to political pressure, the Federal Communications Commission said it would convene a formal public hearing in February to gather input about proposals to relax long-standing media ownership rules that restrict who may own broadcasters and how large they can grow.

Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell had resisted calls for public hearings, fearing they would take too long and cost too much. But Powell relented after FCC Commissioner Michael J. Copps, a Democrat, threatened to host an unofficial hearing next month, even if Powell and other commissioners refused to attend. Powell said the hearing will take place in Richmond, Va.