The campus of Arizona State University and the studios of public television channel KAET-TV (Phoenix) played host to FCC Commissioner Michael J Copps and the Arizona Forum on Media Ownership.

Too bad Clear Channel didn't show up.

Neither did Gannett, which owns the state's largest newspaper, the Arizona Republic, as well as the Phoenix NBC affiliate. Neither did Be-Lo, a local (?) corporation which owns a significant number of Phoenix area stations.

In short, the very people the hearing was focused on decided it was not important enough to attend. Not surprisingly, not a lot of support and even less evidence was stated in favor of continued consolidation.

While I did note take copious notes of the proceedings, those in attendance included Commissioner Copps; Marianne Barrett, ASU professor of broadcasting; Charles Benton, Chairman of the Board of the Benton Foundation and Public Media Inc.; Hugh Downs and Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard, among many others.

General consensus was that media consolidation was a bad idea, unless you wanted to talk about it from a corporate money-making point of view. While it was a greed that this, in and of itself was not necessarily a bad thing, it might be a wiser course to continue to require scrutiny of any further consolidation.

Commissioner Copps pointed out that he felt that the important questions were not yet being asked and expressed his fear that, by the time people did start asking the right questions, it may be too late to effect a change.

Speaking on the behalf of the music community was Kimber Lanning, an independently owned and operated music store owner which focuses on independent labels and bands.

Lanning echoed Don Henley's analogy of the radio to the basic phrase "that's okay if everybody likes the same hamburger." She also offered the observation that local radio was instrumental in the careers of artists like Bruce Springsteen. Without the radio support, she surmised, the artists would not have achieved their current level of fame, adding her supposition that Bruce wouldn't make it in today's radio market.

I realize that this "news report" lacks the usual quotes and all of that. I didn't find this report on the Internet. I didn't see it on TV. I didn't take very good notes. I think the exact transcript will show up in the Federal Register, but I won't even swear by that fact.

But here's one fact that I can attest to. I was there to make a short statement, immediately after a conversation which ended with a request for empirical data.

How convenient. My biggest problem was that I only had two minutes. So I basically spit out the following facts as quickly as possible.

According to testimony at the Senate Commerce Committe hearings in January, Clear Channel introduced 3000 songs last year, and they said it like they were proud of it.

From my experience in radio, brief though it may have been, I think it's safe to say you can play ten songs per hour. With 1200 stations and assuming the absolute minimum -- 12-hour a day AM stations -- Clear Channel had enough slots to air 54 million songs last year.

They played 3000.

Commissioner, I know that Don Henley has told you that radio is the Holy Grail to musicians. While that may have once been true, it is not any longer. We are each a small business.

The digital world came and opened our opportunities. We have the Internet and mp3 files now, but the government will invade our computers in search of music.

If Don Henley came to you complaining of the obstacles to get on the air, what chance do we have?

Then I saw the "You've been talking too long" guy start to stand up.

Lanning had already left, and it appeared as if no one else was prepared to dicuss anything that has anything to do with us.

The End.

Marry me! I mean...granted...I'm already married...but I can handle living in Utah

Naturally Clear Channel wouldn't show up. They're off looking over their market data so they can rig the next contest they do.

jkate - I've written to Orrin Hatch enough times that he probably already thinks I live there.

And here's the weird part. We had an FCC hearing in Phoenix, complete with an FCC commissioner, the state Attorney General and Hugh Downs. The state's largest newspaper did not ever print an announcement that it would take place.

It's owned by Gannett.

I think that pretty much sums up the "USA today."

Washington Post -- April 10
FCC Chairman Michael K. Powell has said that, by June 2, he would like to call FCC votes on rules that prohibit a newspaper from owning a television station in the same city, that prevent one major television network from owning another and that limit how many television and radio stations a company can own in one city, among other rules.

Yesterday, a bipartisan group of 15 senators sent a letter to the FCC, asking commissioners to delay voting on any rule changes until they are more fully discussed in public. The senators who signed it included Ernest F. Hollings (D-S.C.), Trent Lott (R-Miss.), John D. "Jay" Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) and Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.).

On Monday, Hollings sent Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) a letter saying that the two should hold hearings on media ownership as soon as possible after the Easter recess, and that all five FCC commissioners should testify.