CV's Report Released: Media Concentration and Indecency: Is There a Link?

Creative Voices's research report, "Ownership Concentration and Indecency in Broadcasting: Is There a Link?" finds that from 2000 to 2003, four of the nation's largest radio companies were responsible for 96% of FCC indecency fines, while their stations accounted for only about half of the country's listening audience. The study points out that some of the politicians who are now trying to crack down on indecency by raising fines on broadcasters are the same ones who voted in 1996 to relax ownership rules that contributed to concentration. The report concludes that, "One of the unintended consequences of their support of deregulation is an increase in indecency." Rather than increase fines for indecency, the report suggests that a more effective and First Amendment-friendly approach to the indecency problem would be to reintroduce meaningful station ownership caps, limit vertical integration of program ownership, and promoting localism and diversity of voices in our nation’s media.

The study -- "Ownership Concentration and Indecency in Broadcasting: Is There a Link?" -- is now available online here.

Thanks to all who came to our event to introduce the report at National Press Club, Washington DC, and the many more who have commented and written about it.