Failures of the American airwaves

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The FCC can act on a number of issues that will quickly begin the revival of an independent press and a healthy democracy.

• Cross-ownership. The bloating of the world's media conglomerates begs lawmakers to reexamine this rule. Not only does it need to be better enforced, the rule needs to be expanded on a national level. No company should be allowed the reach and power of News Corporation. The FCC has to be alarmed that the conglomerate now owns the New York-based Wall Street Journal, Fox News, two television stations and a daily newspaper in the city. News Corporation is also launching a national financial channel.

• Licensing. The FCC should use a licensing program requiring television stations to go through a rigorous renewal every three years. The current system has almost no impact, and renewal is done every eight years. Stations simply send in a postcard.

• Network neutrality. This awkwardly named proposal would keep network providers — such as AT&T or Comcast — which supply the pipes through which the Internet moves, from implementing different pay scales for different levels of service. This law would ensure the Internet remains a place for innovation and is not controlled by the companies that own broadband.

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