The Federal Communications Commission is relaxing the rules of foreign ownership of U.S. television and radio stations. In the past, non-us citizens and entities were only allowed to hold a 25 percent stake in US media properties. Earlier this month, the FCC decided that Televisa, a Mexican company, could gain up to a 49 percent stake the U.S. media company Unavision. Televisa provides a lot of the programming that Univision runs on its tv network.
Frank Montero is a managing partner with the washington D-C based law firm Fletcher, Heald & Hildreth, which represents media and telecommunications companies. He talked with KCSB’s Lisa Osborn about the changes in the foreign ownership rule - and what it could mean for the future of control of the American airwaves.
Also covered in this interview, is a new rule requiring individuals who are on the board of directors of community and university radio stations to provide their social security numbers to the FCC.
