Cox lobbies FCC — not that the AJC will tell you
May 15, 2007 at 10:11 am by John F. Sugg in NewsThe more people know about Big Media becoming Bigger, Bigger and Humongous Media, the more they dislike the idea, the Pew Research Center Found in 2003. Before information was available on media-consolidation schemes pending before the Federal Communications Commission, 34 percent of respondents thought they were bad ideas. After the information was available, 50 percent were opposed. Only 10 percent supported the moves.
So the solution for some media giants is to keep the public in the dark. Atlanta’s Coxopoly does a darn good job of that. Four years ago, there was nary an article on moves by media giants to muscle approval from the FCC to allow daily newspapers to own, without much restriction, broadcast properties in the same city. Here in Atlanta, where Cox already owns the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WSB-TV plus a number of radio stations, the goal was for the company to snap up another television outlet, maybe two.
Only after it was too late for citizens to voice their feelings to the FCC did the AJC run a story — and that never explored Cox’s role in lobbying for the changes. AJC Managing Editor Hank Klibanoff assured me at the time: “There’s no conspiracy.”
Despite the blackout in Atlanta’s Cox media on the issue, the word spread across the nation, and the FCC received 3 million e-mails protesting the changes. Ultimately, action by Congress rolled back Big Media’s attempted grab at even larger monopolies.
Maybe, as Klibanoff said, there’s no conspiracy, but those shrewd folks over at the AJC are doing it again. The FCC has been considering changes similar to those in 2003. There have been hearings in several cities, including Tampa last month, and the debate is heating up. But, except for one lackluster story last October, you won’t find the news in the AJC. After all, changes that would be worth billions in revenues to Cox somehow aren’t newsworthy.
Could it be because Cox knows exactly how Atlantans would react to the idea of two or three Cox-owned TV stations? It wouldn’t be pretty.
The October story in the AJC barely mentioned Cox, never disclosing the company’s lobbying and influence buying. Cox would still love to acquire another TV station or two in Atlanta — that isn’t mentioned, either.
In the last decade, Cox has spent almost $3.4 million on lobbyists to argue (read: cajole, lavish with gifts, threaten) its case in Washington. Among television-station owners, it’s the 10th biggest spender, and ranks fourth in both radio-station owners and cable companies.
It has contributed $1 million to candidates in recent election cycles — the largest individual recipient was George Bush, with $28,000. Sen. Saxby Chambliss received almost $15,000.
And Cox has filed tons of documents with the FCC. Citing the near monopoly in Atlanta as proof that consolidation “benefits readers, viewers and listeners,” one letter from Cox lobbyist Kevin Reed to the FCC proclaims: “Given the demonstrated benefits of cross-ownership, the Commission had no alternative in 2003 but to abolish” restraints on joint ownership by a single company of a daily newspaper and broadcast outlets in the same market.
It’s worth paying attention to Cox’s lobbying — especially what the company doesn’t tell you. Cox lost its license to operate Miami TV and radio stations after being caught involved in “illegal ex parte conversations,” according to the late Gene Miller, two-time Pulitzer-Prize-winning reporter for the Miami Herald.
Sources: FCC, Center for Public Integrity, Pew Research Center
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