CA - U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters Files Petition With FCC Challenging Tribune Company’s Request to Make Its Cross-Ownership Permanent

U.S. Representative Maxine Waters (CA-35) filed a petition yesterday afternoon asking the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to deny the Tribune Company’s request for a waiver of the cross-ownership rule and its request to renew the broadcast license for KTLA-TV (Channel 5). The cross-ownership rule was put in place, in part, to prevent the domination of local media markets by major corporations. In the Los Angeles Designated Media Area (DMA), which is second only to New York City, the Tribune Company owns both KTLA-TV and the Los Angeles Times. By its own calculations, the Tribune Company has the ability to influence the news and information received by 52 percent of the 12.8 million people that officially comprise the Los Angeles DMA.