Public interest vs. business interest: The impacts of ownership deregulation on broadcasters and communities in the United States

Since the Telecommunications Act of 1996, radio and television mergers and acquisitions have exploded in a push to deregulate local media ownership in the United States. As family owned stations became conglomerate owned, single stations became duopolies, and shell companies “owned” stations in name only, local broadcasters have borne the brunt of the business decisions of their corporate mega-owners. What has this done to the face of LOCAL broadcasting? This panel discusses impacts on minority radio ownership and programming, labor impacts for station workers, and the state of local journalism in the community. Moderator: Carey L. Higgins-Dobney, University of Kentucky Panelists: Chip Mahaney, Southern Methodist University Robin Mazyck Sundaramoorthy, Lehigh University Mary Beth Earnheardt, Youngstown State University Nicole Clarity, Hofstra University