Television To The Rescue?

THE CHAIRMAN OF THE FCC says newspapers need to be rescued..

"In their role as watchdog and informer of the citizenry, newspapers are crucial to our democracy," Kevin J. Martin wrote in the New York Times today.

He also points out this stuff: At least 300 daily papers have stopped publishing over the past 30 years. Those newspapers that have survived are struggling financially. Newspaper circulation has declined steadily for more than 10 years. Average daily circulation is down 2.6 percent in the last six months alone. Newspapers have also been hurt by significant cuts in advertising revenue, which accounts for at least 75 percent of their revenue. Their share of the advertising market has fallen every year for the past decade, while online advertising has increased greatly.

So he is proposing an FCC rule change. He wants newspapers to be able to own television stations in the same market, a practice that is prohibited now to prevent the creation of monopolies.

Is there a danger in media in one town being controlled by one company? Or is it smart business for media operations to combine?