[BC] Ownership Rules

[Stevan A. White]

Does anyone else feel that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is trying to lead 
us down the garden path with his proposal to allow cross ownership of 
newspaper and radio or TV within the same market?  Haven't radio and TV 
stations suffered enough with the relaxed multiple ownership rules?

I for one have been very discouraged at the corporate gluttons that come 
in and buy up a handful of stations within the same market, homogenize 
them so they all sound the same, and suck the life out of them while 
using them for little more than a tax deduction before selling them for 
way more than they're worth.  It's to the point that small investment 
groups or individuals can't afford to purchase a station any more 
because the debt service totally consumes any hope of retained earnings 
for a much longer period of time than most any investor is willing to 
wait for some kind of return on investment.

I hate to come across as the pessimist here; but, it seems that my long 
time dream of radio station ownership is getting less and less likely 
with each passing day, let alone each passing of MORE RELAXED ownership 
rules.  It is my opinion that this has done more harm to radio than the 
perceived harm IBOC digital will cause, than diluting the local audience 
with XM and Sirius satellite, or anything else that has happened to our 
industry "in the name of progress."

Then again, I'm just one guy in a small/medium sized market.  What do 
guys like me know anyway?

Best Regards,
Stevan A. White, W5SAW
SW Commercial Electronics
928 South Crockett Street
Amarillo, Texas 79102
Phone 806-681-7228
w5saw at pathwayz.com

"Our five senses are incomplete without the sixth -- a sense of humor." 
-- Source Unknown