The 1975 are a popular pop-rock act from England known for such singles as “Chocolate” and “Love Me.”
For FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, 1975 is meaningful in a way that won’t yield any Hershey’s Kisses from media owners: it marks the year that its cross-ownership rules were put in place—rules that were left intact by the Commission on Wednesday in a vote first reported by Reuters, citing an anonymous source.
The decision is a blow for all media, in particular the struggling newspaper business. It marks the latest refusal by the FCC to amend the rules, which the Commission is supposed do per Congressional order every four years—a provision tied to the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
The last time the FCC reviewed its cross-ownership rules was a decade ago.
Not surprisingly, the NAB and two key members of the U.S. Senate are less than thrilled with the FCC’s decision to leave the cross-ownership rules intact.
