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FCC Chief Won't Delay Ownership Rules Vote

The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission has refused to delay a planned vote on easing media ownership rules, even in the face of stinging criticism on Capitol Hill. Members of the Senate Commerce Committee took Kevin Martin to school over the issue of his intention to go ahead with the media ownership rule change at the agency's December 18 meeting.

Asked by Sen. John Kerry if he would be willing to delay the scheduled vote, Martin gave the Massachusetts Democrat a simple "no" answer. But Kerry warned Martin of a "congressional response" as the result of his refusal to put off the vote. Meanwhile, Sen. John Rockefeller (D. W Va.) complains the FCC "appears to be more concerned about making sure the policies they advocate serve the needs of the companies they regulate and their bottom lines rather than the public interest."

Martin is a booster of rule changes that would ease the FCC's long-standing cross-ownership ban in the 20 biggest U.S. cities and the two other Republican commissioners on the five-person panel -- Deborah Taylor Tate and Robert McDowell -- seem to be behind him.

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