UPDATE: Today marks the beginning of a local media monopoly in Tucson, Ariz. Exploiting loopholes in the Federal Communications Commission’s ownership rules, Raycom Media has taken control of three local stations: KMSB, KOLD and KTTU. The stations are now co-branded as “Tucson News Now” and they operate out of the same studio (about 40 employees lighter than before).

The newly consolidated stations took their new monopoly for a test drive this morning, with KOLD producing a new morning show for KMSB. The show is anchored by Gina Trunzo and Mark Stine. Stine has to change hats quickly, since he also anchors KOLD This Morning, which ends just as the KMSB show begins. The news schedules of the stations are carefully coordinated throughout the day, allowing Raycom to make double the profits from virtually identical news content aired on multiple stations. Because Raycom skirted the FCC’s rules to gain control of the stations, the company hasn’t had to answer to concerns that the deal is anti-competitive, or that the duplicative news coverage will harm the public.

It’s time to change that. Raycom and all other like-minded media companies must be held accountable for evading the FCC’s public interest protections. Raycom’s local media monopolies must be dismantled. And the FCC must prevent companies like Raycom from destroying what's left of competition among TV newscasts nationwide.

To learn more, read what we wrote about the deal when it was first announced in November.

Photo of Mark Stine via the Tucson News Now website