Watch the hearing

TAMPA - The general public has a chance to talk directly with federal regulators who oversee the modern media landscape. A seven-hour hearing is scheduled for citizens to vent their thoughts, complaints and maybe compliments about the owners of radio stations, newspapers, cell phone networks, satellite radio, and cable and broadcast TV.

The five Federal Communications Commission members are scheduled to appear at the meeting to talk about potential changes to the nation’s media ownership rules.

The topic may sound arcane, but those rules ultimately govern what companies can own a newspaper, radio, or TV or cable outlet - and thus directly influence the news, information and entertainment delivered to the public.

Most major media companies advocate loosening current rules to let them own more outlets and deliver their news or entertainment across more platforms to wherever the customer may be - watching TV, reading the paper, surfing the Net or clicking on a cell phone.

Many consumer advocates, and some FCC commissioners, say the media landscape is already too consolidated among a select few big media companies. “I worry about excessive media consolidation,” said FCC Commissioner Michael Copps. “I travel all over the country, and in areas large and small, rich and poor, Republican, Democrat, red state, blue state, there is tremendous concern that in many places consolidation of media has had baleful impacts in homogenizing news and entertainment.”

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