Speaking at a committee hearing on broadcast localism, Senator Daniel Inouye of Hawaii said today that he was "very troubled by efforts at the FCC to allow greater consolidation of our media."

"As we know from recent history, this is an area that requires tremendous caution," Inouye told the Senate Commerce Committee during a discussion about localism, diversity, and media ownership.

The comments come a day before the Federal Communications Commission will hold its last hearing on its media ownership regulations in Seattle, Washington. Up for grabs are rules limiting how many newspapers, TV stations, and radio stations a single entity can own in a market.

Both of the Commission's Democrats have warned that "the rush is on to push media consolidation to a quick and ill-considered vote." Inouye called a Commission decision on the rules before the end of the year "a serious mistake."

"So let me caution the agency now: rather than rushing to judgment on new rules," Inouye's statement concluded, "regardless of whether they are a broad set of new rules or modest changes, the FCC should focus on completing pending proceedings on localism and public interest obligations that have long languished for lack of attention. If rule changes are required, the American people deserve to be informed and provided a reasonable period of time for meaningful comment and discussion."

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