[ OUR OPINION ]

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Court order gives
Congress time to
curb big media

THE ISSUE A federal appeals court in Washington has issued an order preventing the Federal Communications Commission from allowing expansion of the nation's largest media conglomerates.

AMERICANS have been spared the unleashing of media conglomerates to expand their control of radio, television and newspaper markets. A federal appellate court's order preventing the Federal Communication Commission from implementing its new rules should give Congress time to correct the commission's bad judgment. The enormous round of media mergers that the FCC wants to grant would threaten the diversity and competition in Honolulu and other cities.

The FCC plan calls for ending bans on ownership by one company of more than one station affiliated with the four major networks -- ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox -- in the same market. It would allow Indiana-based Emmis Communications Corp. to keep both KHON and KGMB, which it obtained an FCC waiver to purchase five years ago. A rule already in existence allowed an acceptable "duopoly" of KHNL and KFVE by Alabama-based Raycom Media Inc.; KFVE is not affiliated with a top-four network.

The most bothersome part of the FCC plan would permit the nation's largest TV networks from owning more stations. They now are allowed to own enough stations to reach up to 35 percent of the nation's viewers. Fox and CBS already are above that percentage, and the FCC would raise the limit to 45 percent.

The House of Representatives, by a resounding 400-21 vote, approved a measure six weeks ago that would block that rule change, prompting a veto threat by President Bush. Ignoring the threat, the Senate Appropriations Committee unanimously approved the measure on Thursday.

The FCC plan also would allow some media companies to own newspapers and television stations in the same market. Gannett Co. Inc., the Honolulu Advertiser's parent, owns 22 television stations and 100 daily newspapers in the United States. Three years ago, Gannett bought the Arizona Republic in Phoenix, where it also owns the NBC affiliate, with the expectation that the FCC would lift its cross-ownership ban before the station's license is up for renewal in 2006.

The action by the FCC was hasty and taken at the behest of the media giants. The plan has been opposed by a broad coalition of groups, ranging from Consumers Union and the National Organization for Women to the National Rifle Association and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Groups across the political spectrum understand the importance of a free and competitive media.

"It's kind of a cruel, ironic joke," National Public Radio anchor Bob Edwards remarked upon the FCC's action in June. "The rise of cable TV and the Internet were supposed to democratize the media and give us many voices and numerous points of view. Instead, market forces and deregulation have clobbered diversity. The networks and cable channels have the same owners -- Hollywood studios, mainly -- and the most popular Web sites for news are those of organizations firmly established before the Web was spun."

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Recognize surfing
as a school sport

THE ISSUE A Board of Education committee has recommended recognizing surfing as a school sport.

SURF clubs exist at about a dozen public schools, but members are not allowed to use the school name or its mascot in competition. That nonsense would come to an end if the state Board of Education approves a proposal endorsed by its Student Services Committee and everyone who testified at a hearing before the committee. The sport most associated with Hawaii should be embraced by the schools, not shunned.

Schools Superintendent Patricia Hamamoto contended in a memorandum to school officials several months ago that surfing is too dangerous to be sanctioned by the Department of Education. Her concern is that the state could be held legally liable for injuries caused by waves or sharks. However, Sen. Fred Hemmings and Rep. Marcus Oshiro, avid surfers, testified that sports involving physical contact, such as football, pose a greater risk of injury. As noted by James Howe, a member of the Hawaiian Lifeguard Association, "The real key to safety is this knowledge of the ocean. The best insurance we can buy is making sure our students have good knowledge."

Some board members raised concerns about the potential costs, figuring $2.67 million a season for fees for coaches, transportation to practices and new surfboard for 1,000 students. Students should be willing to shoulder much of the cost, much as baseball players buy their own gloves, and other costs can be kept to a minimum.