George Jones photo courtesy of Bandit Records
December 11, 2006 — Several country artists, including George Jones, Porter Wagoner, Naomi Judd and songwriter Craig Wiseman, will testify about media consolidation's impact on music at a Federal Communications Commission hearing today in Nashville.
The FCC is seeking input on rules enacted in 2003 to relax previous media ownership restrictions. The earlier restrictions were developed to ensure local choice and variety. Many country insiders feel the quality of music is being compromised by large national conglomerates that seek to appeal to narrow demographics.
Possible media ownership rule changes up for debate could further eliminate local radio owners by allowing the conglomerates to grow even larger. Clear Channel has petitioned the FCC to own as many as 12 radio stations in a single local market.