[IP] LEADING ACADEMICS DECRY FCC METHODOLOGY FORLIFTING OWNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS

[Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>]

------ Forwarded Message
From: "Faulhaber, Gerald" <faulhabe@wharton.upenn.edu>
Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 23:37:58 -0400
To: Dave Farber <dave@farber.net>
Subject: RE: [Dewayne-Net] LEADING ACADEMICS DECRY FCC METHODOLOGY
FORLIFTING OWNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS

A rather breathless headline to describe a reasonable and I believe
uncontroversial (but probably unnecessary) request.  The so-called
"diversity index" alleged to be under development at the FCC will
certainly see the light of day and be hotly debated, as well it should.
The FCC has always operated under the bright glare of publicity, as well
it should.  This will be no different.  By way of analogy, when Dept. of
Justice and the Federal Trade Commission developed the first antitrusgt
Merger Guidelines in the early 1980s, they were subject to very serious
academic debate.  Generally, though, that attempt to clarify antitrust
practice was lauded by  academics.  In this case, the group of "leading"
academics appears ready to dismiss the index, and indeed any
quantitative measure, out of hand, before seeing it.  This certainly
doesn't fit what I believe scholarly discourse to be about.

Professor Gerald R. Faulhaber
Business and Public Policy Dept
Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104


-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Farber [mailto:dave@farber.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 4:38 PM
To: Faulhaber, Gerald
Subject: FW: [Dewayne-Net] LEADING ACADEMICS DECRY FCC METHODOLOGY
FORLIFTING OWNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS



------ Forwarded Message
From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne@warpspeed.com>
Reply-To: dewayne@warpspeed.com
Date: Thu, 01 May 2003 07:36:27 -0700
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net@warpspeed.com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] LEADING ACADEMICS DECRY FCC METHODOLOGY FOR
LIFTING OWNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS


LEADING ACADEMICS DECRY FCC METHODOLOGY FOR LIFTING OWNERSHIP SAFEGUARDS

[Press Release] A group of nearly 300 academics have asked the FCC to
disclose its plans for a rulemaking "diversity index" and other
quantitative measures prior to its scheduled June 2 vote on media
ownership deregulation. The academics join a growing chorus of public
interest organizations and consumer groups critical of the FCC's plan to
strip the ownership rules. "We have grave doubts that any single measure
can effectively analyze the complexities of the media marketplace in
terms of its impact on journalism, citizen access to information, and
competition," they wrote. University of Illinois professor Robert
McChesney added, "The existing media rules were created to guarantee the
citizens their basic rights to a diverse and independent media. Chairman
Powell seems focused solely on the impact of media rules on the
advertising marketplace, not the marketplace of ideas. Regardless of the
index or rule Mr. Powell chooses, hundreds of leading scholars
justifiably believe that any proposal should be first released for
scholarly review and comment."

[SOURCE: Center for Digital Democracy]
<http://www.democraticmedia.org/news/academicsDecryFCC.html>

View the letter and a list of signatories:
<http://www.democraticmedia.org/resources/filings/Academic_letterFINAL.d
oc>

Archives at: <http://Wireless.Com/Dewayne-Net>
Weblog at: <http://weblog.warpspeed.com>


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