The effects of the FCC's 2003 revision of the 1996 Telecommunications Act on media ownership groups and voice diversity

Abstract

In 1996, Congress passed the Telecommunications Act which increased the proportion of the national television audience a media company could reach to 35%. Seven years later, the FCC further deregulated ownership, increasing the proportion of audience a media company could reach to 45%. This change also allowed crossownership of media outlets in larger local markets.

This paper will research how media ownership groups have changed by documenting the acquisitions and sales of four of the largest media companies in comparison to four smaller ownership groups. It will also discuss what effects those changes have had on ownership diversity. This thesis will answer the following question: has media ownership become less diverse since the 2003 Biennial Review of the 1996 Telecommunications Act?

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2007

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Major, Anthony

Degree

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

College

College of Sciences

Degree Program

Radio and TV; Broadcast Journalism

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences;Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Format

Print

Identifier

DP0022163

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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