• The aI June 13, 1978 Vol. 111, No.7 © 1978 Student Publications, Inc. Iowa City's Morning Newspaper 10 cents Court okays current joint-media ownership WASHINGTON (UPI) - The Supreme media gro\lps which had long been decision. Court ruled s.o Monday that current joint awaiting it. Marshall also said it was all right for newspaper·broadcast ownership in the Justice Thurgood Marshall, delivering the FCC to require divestiture only in 16 same coverage area may continue in all the court's opinion, said the FCC communities where there is common but 16 "small market" cities, although no regulations were "valid in their en­ ownership of the only daily newspaper such combinations would be allowed in tirety." and the only television station or the future. He said the agency, when it issued the broadcast stations, while exempting The court overturned a federal appeals rules in 1975, rationally decided to other existing combinations. court and affirmed in full the Federal promote diversity by breaking up local "Some line had to be drawn," he said, Communications Commission ruling in monopolies in 16 "egregious" cases, but "and it was hardly unreasonable for the 1975 that divestiture was required only in avoid total disruption of the existing commission" to draw it at those cir· the 16 cities where the cross-ownerships media industry by exempting other cumstances. represented the only newspaper and existing combinations that had a "long In addition, the court rejected broadcast outlets for the area. record of service" and included pioneers arguments by media g"oups that the FCC Under that part of the ruling, the 16 in U.S. broadcasting. rules "singled out" newspapers for joint ownerships must be broken up by Marshall said the appeals' court was harsher treatment than, for instance, 1980. wrong in throwing out the grandfather other types of corporations when they go The FCC rules approved by the court clause. to purchase broadcast stations. allow all other existing combinations to "We agree that diversification of Joe Dealey, president of the Dallas continue operating under a "grandfather ownership furthers statutory and con­ Morning News and chairman of an clause" exempting them from the ban on stitutional policies," he said. But he said American Newspaper Publishers same-dty media combinations until they it is up to the FCC, not the courts, to Associa tion task force on cross­ decide to sell or transfer their properties. decide wha t is in- the public interest, and ownership, said the ruling all-in-all "was In March 1917 , the U.S. appeals court in the commission need not give "diver­ a good and fair finding by the court." But the District of Columbia sent shock sifica tion ... controlling weight in all he said he regretted its decision to uphold waves through the communications circumstances" when it makes that the 16 dives~ture orders. industry when it ruled the FCC could not exempt most existing combinations from the cross-ownership ban. It ordered Large broadcast-print combines across-the-board divestiture in line with the FCC's own policy of promoting diversity of media ownership. are I~ft intact, small ones split up Had the appeals court been left stan­ ding Monday by the Supreme Court, 55 WASHINGTON (UPI) - A Supreme believe the ruling will force the sale of newspaper-television combinations Court ruling on newspaper-broadcast KTAL-TV in Texas and the Texarkana would have faced breakup orders as well operations in the same city was cheered Gazette and Daily News, because they Sunrise anglers as more than 100 newspaper-radio Monday by firms allowed to stay in serve both Texarkana and Shreveport, combinations in up to 130 communities. business/but small town owners forced to La . where they must compete with other A pair of fishermen cast out into the Atlantic Ocean (rom a pier at long Branch, N.J., shortly after sunrise on Monday before showers Thus the high court's action was ac­ selJ some properties considered the newspapers and broadcast stations. and thunderstorms arrived later that day. claimed as at least a partial victory by ruling unfair. Several trades of broadcast stations, National Association of Broadcasters however, which are underway or have President Vincent Wasilewski said t~e been completed in anticipation of the decision to allow more tha n 70 court's ruling may not have been Leach wants report on u.s. action in Zaire newspaper-hroadcast combinations was necessary. "gratifying, " especially because a For example, the Washington Post Co., 8y TOM DRURY U.S. armed forces introduced into a legitimate obligation to intervene in that raising the ceiling on beef imports possible adverse ruling may have which publlshes the Washington Post and Staff Writer "hostilities or into situations where Africa "to protect American citizens on by 15 per cent will save consumers five to eventually forced firms owning AM and owns WTOP-TV and the Evening News imminent involvement of hostilities is an emergency basis." six cents per pound of hamburger in the FM radio and televison stations to sell. Association, which publishes the Detroit The Carter administration's placement clearly indicated by the circumstances." He called the state of Mrican affairs "a remainder of 1978. But Wasilewski called "unfair" the News and owns WWJ-TV, Detroit, an­ of a group of U.S. technicians in Zaire The Senate committee source said for very frustrating situation. They have court's action upholding Federal Com­ nounced a station swap in December. Leach said there is "very little beef munications Commmission regulations may require reporting to Congress under tha t section of the act to apply, "it has to 10,000 Cubans in Africa, and how do you anywhere in the world" that could be the War Powers Act, Rep. Jim Leach, R­ be highly probable that these forces will respond?" He said Carter's intentions in requiring the divestiture of 16 "small brought in to increase imports and he market" newspaper-broadcast com­ Iowa, said Monday. be involved in hostilities ... That's just the area "are very unclear." predicted a savings of "two cents a pound A source close to the Senate Foreign not clearly indicated by the cir­ "I would certainly be one of those that binations by 1980. on hamburger for the next month." He "The court appears to have held that Relations Committee, however, said the cumstances (in Zaire) . would be urging caution rather than said that although foreign beef will not 1973 act does not mandate a presidential Leach said, "The only issue at stake is intervention at this time," Leach said. small, family-operated businesses in flood the American marketplace cattle sma ll cities in the United States are to be report to Congress concerning the use of whether the president should formaily Some observers suggest Carter's farmers' reaction to the rise in the quota the 70-plus Defense Department em­ disclose to Congress" the presence of the voiunteering the use of U.S. planes is an treated differently from the television may cause an "inflationary headache" and newspaper combinations that are ployees in the recently embatUed African U.S. crew in Zaire and the 200.300 more attempt by the administration to take next year. country. technicians located in Mrica outside action in Mrica without risking the common in the nation's big cities," said "It's an area open to conflicting in- Zaire. possible public disapproval involved in "The producers I've talked to in John B. Johnson Jr., managing editor of He said the transporting of French, deploying U.S. troops. eastern Iowa feel that if the govern­ the Watertown Daily Times in New York, Belgian and Moroccan troops into Zaire Speaking generally, Leach said there is ment's going to change the rules of the one of the groups adversely affected by by the United States, and the subsequent in<;reasing feeling among U.S. citizens road on them at the one time they're the decision. replacement of those troops with African that "the presidency is floundering" and starting to make up for their losses of the "We do not feel it to be in the public soldiers via U.S. planes, is apparently that Carter "doesn't have control over last four years, they're simply going to interest for investors (from) outside Election part of "an ongoing effort to shore up the what's happening in the government." send more breeding cows to slaughter," northern New York to own WWNY-TV." Zaire government." . He also said there is some popular doubt Leach said. Joe Dealey, Dallas Morning News The United States "should be very, about the abilities of Carter's high-level Su.ch a trend would mean reductions in president and chairman of an American '78 very careful not to get involved in an appointees. herd sizes next year, Leach said, causing Newspaper Publishers' Association task escalating situation" that results in Like other legislators from the Mid­ "inflationary pressures to beat the force on crosS-O'Ynership, said he also substantial involvement in Zaire, Leach west, Leach said Carter's relaxing of the band." "regretted" the court's requiring terpretations," Leach said, citing the cautioned in a telephone interview from beef import quota was a political move He said Carter would have been better divestiture in 16 cases, adding "some of possibility of a congressional attempt to Washington on Monday. designed to make the president seem advised to fight inflation by cutting his those cases have already solved them­ receive a formal report on the situation In Iowa City Saturday the firm in his fight against inflation. record-high proposed budget.