Media Consolidation and Diminishing Independent Content

MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AND DIMINISHING INDEPENDENT CONTENT

Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, in June of this year, the Federal Communications Commission issued a decision relaxing a number of important rules that limit consolidation in the media industry. In the months leading up to that decision, and ever since, a bipartisan group of Senators has sought to sound the alarm about the dangers of unbridled media concentration. Those efforts eventually led to Senate passage of a resolution to reverse the commission's decision. But the battle continues, and the outcome is uncertain,

Most of the debate on this subject has focused on the details of rules limiting the national reach of broadcasters and the local cross-ownership of television, newspaper, and radio stations. But I would like to call attention to another important dimension of media concentration: the demise of independent producers, who are being bought up or driven out of business by the big networks and big studios.

More and more, the television programming delivered to the homes of American families is controlled by a handful of executives in a handful of corporate boardrooms. Independent writers and producers are growing scarce. Indeed, there soon may be only two remaining independent Hollywood studies that produce scripted television programming. The others have either disappeared or linked up with one of the major networks.

I think that having all programming produced by a few large media conglomerates could pose some real risks for creativity and diversity. That is why I would like to commend my colleague from Arizona, Commerce Committee Chairman JOHN MCCAIN, for his leadership in agreeing to cohost a dialogue with Chairman BILLY TAUZIN of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and representatives of studios, networks, writers, and producers.

I am confident that under the direction of Chairman MCCAIN, this dialogue can produce positive discussion and concrete results, such as voluntary guidelines to help ensure diversity, competition, and opportunity in the market for television programming. I look forward to participating.