FCC won’t appeal Third Circuit ruling on media ownership restrictions News
FCC won’t appeal Third Circuit ruling on media ownership restrictions

[JURIST] Fearful that going before the Supreme Court could jeopardize the entirety of its media ownership limits, the FCC [agency website] will not seek to challenge a ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit [court homepage] tightening ownership rules for media conglomerates in US markets. The court's decision thwarts the FCC's 2003 efforts to relax media ownership rules and allow for cross-ownership of multiple media outlets and ownership of two or three television stations in some larger markets. The Third Circuit ruled last year that the FCC's justification for the changes was insufficient and put the new rules on hold until the agency took up the court's concerns. The National Association of Broadcasters and the Tribune Co. are expected to file their own appeals. Reuters has more. The Third Circuit has made available a number of documents [some PDF] pertaining to the media ownership case, including the court order [PDF].