Media Ownership Court Case in Hartford-Tribune Company

[liveoaktx]

http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/03-21-2005/0003236976&EDATE=

***Why did the FCC file on behalf of this company when the court has ruled against cross-ownership?????

CHICAGO, March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Tribune Company today released the following statement regarding a District Court ruling on
newspaper/television cross-ownership in the Hartford, Connecticut market:
"Today, a District Court in Hartford, Connecticut ruled that Tribune's holdings in the Hartford, Connecticut market (The Hartford Courant, WTIC-TV and WTXX-TV) were in violation of the FCC's newspaper/television cross- ownership rule.
This order was not a ruling on the merits of the cross-ownership rule and we believe the decision is wrong and seriously flawed.

* The judge reached his decision by applying FCC rules that are currently
on remand from the 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals to the FCC and subject
to a petition for certiorari to the United States Supreme Court.
* In June 2003, the FCC completed a two-year omnibus rule-making and
established new cross-ownership rules that permitted
newspaper/television combinations in large markets. In June 2004, the 3rd Circuit agreed with the FCC with respect to relief in large markets such as Hartford.

In the Hartford case, the Chief of the Mass Media Bureau of the FCC filed a letter confirming the commission's view that Tribune was not in violation of its rules in Hartford pending resolution of the FCC's multiple ownership proceedings.

[The Doctor.]

1. Not to worry...

They'll have all those nasty 'cross-ownership' restrictions done away with soon enough.