The FCC's recent proposal to loosen its media ownership rules has stirred up a hornet's nest on the Hill, as evidenced by the news conference held yesterday by Sens. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. Their opposition could foreshadow stronger resistance from Congressional Democrats if the FCC chooses to move forward with its draft order, particularly given the low representation of minorities and women among media owners. President Obama is expected to emphasize diversity in his second term, and some believe the FCC could be ground zero for such efforts. Relaxing the media ownership rules, on the other hand, would make it easier for the major media companies to snap up the remaining outlets, freezing out small and minority entrepreneurs.

Both lawmakers added their voices to the growing chorus of Democrats and liberals arguing against weakening the agency's cross-ownership rules, which prevent one company from owning multiple newspapers, TV channels and radio stations in a single market. Media consolidation has taken place rapidly due to increasing online competition, with six companies now owning the top 90 percent of media outlets, as opposed to 50 companies in 1983. While the FCC has made noise about media consolidation and diversity concerns, it also approved the vertical merger of Comcast and NBC Universal, one of the largest media mergers in recent memory. The FCC proposed similar changes in 2007 under Republican leadership; the Senate passed a resolution disapproving of those changes, which were subsequently remanded back to the agency by a federal court.

U.S. Seeks to Separate Internet From Telecom in Dubai: The World Conference on International Telecommunications continues today in Dubai, where the U.S. delegation is working furiously to protect the content and integrity of the Internet from government interference. Ambassador Terry Kramer held a briefing with reporters Thursday via teleconference, where he emphasized that the U.S. believes the conference should focus solely on telecom providers like AT&T and Verizon, while keeping hands off the Internet (content, applications, etc.). Kramer again denied earlier reports that the U.S. had failed in that aim, claiming the issue hasn't been settled and pointing to support from countries in Europe and South America. Kramer said the issue reflects a fundamental divide between countries that hold liberal views on free speech and commercialization, and countries that strictly police online content. Groups Reach Agreement on Set-Top Boxes: Cable providers and device manufacturers announced an agreement Thursday to make cable set-top boxes more energy efficient. The agreement, which was signed by 15 leading multichannel video providers and device manufacturers, will take effect next month and is expected to save $1.5 billion in annual electric bills for consumers. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, was among those lauding the agreement. Congress Delays Online Posting of Staffer Data: Congress moved Thursday to delay again a controversial rule that requires the online posting of financial disclosures for senior federal workers. The effective implementation date was pushed from Saturday to April 15, giving Congress time to review a forthcoming report from the National Academy of Public Administration on whether the rule compromises privacy and poses a threat to national security. Both fears were raised in lawsuits filed by workers who would be affected by the rule. The measure is part of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge Act, which seeks to prevent lawmakers and their staffers from profiting by using nonpublic information gleaned via their positions for financial gain. New Apple Factory Boosts Insourcing: Congressional Democrats said Thursday that they will seek new incentives to encourage domestic manufacturing after Apple CEO Tim Cook said his company plans to invest $100 million to produce Mac computers in the United States. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., plans to press for action similar to her proposal (S 3364) that would provide tax breaks for companies that bring jobs home from overseas. The bill, which would provide a 20 percent tax credit for the cost of "insourcing," fell four votes short of overcoming a filibuster in July. Wireless Carriers Agree to 911 Texts: FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced Thursday that the nation's four largest wireless carriers have agreed to make it possible for subscribers to text 911 in the event of an emergency. Major deployments are expected next year, and the carriers have committed to nationwide deployment by May 15, 2014. Allowing emergency dispatchers to receive text messages has been in the works for some time, in the event that someone is unable to make a voice call or may risk danger by doing so.