JI newspaper crying about common ownership of Hartford Courant, FOX 61, and WCCT

[MarcB]

There was an article in today's Bristol Press (and most likely its sister paper The New Britain Herald) stating the the Manchester Journal-Inquirer is upset that the FCC is continuing to let Tribune be above the law and continue to own The Hartford Courant, FOX 61, and WCCT-TV. Tribune (which in CT operates as CT-1 Media) has gotten waivers for the past 12 years to continue to own all 3 media outlets.

 

[KML0224]

This monopoly should indeed be broken up! I'm tired of it!

 

[Bill-in-CT]

The monopoly doesn't bother me because 61 would not have been able to improve its news product without the financial commitment from Tribune.

Speaking of monopolies....it was 40 years ago next month that WHDH-TV became WCVB, breaking up the Boston Herald Traveler, Channel 5, WHDH (AM) and WCOZ (FM) combo.

 

[KeithE4]

This monopoly should indeed be broken up! I'm tired of it!

What monopoly? Last I checked, there are TV stations and newspapers in CT that are not owned by the Chicago Tribune. Like, most of them. :

One newspaper, even if it is the state's largest, and a couple of TV stations don't constitute a monopoly. Gannett has a larger presence in Arizona (the state's largest fishwrap, and an NBC affiliate with a full-powered satellite, both based in Phoenix) than Tribune does in Connecticut, and it isn't close to a monopoly either.

 

[chrish]

With the way newspapers are becoming a dying breed (todays Americans can barely read let alone read a newspaper) the duopolys will be making the life of
the newspapers feasible.

 

[qunewsguy]

The JI's main sticking point is that a couple years ago the Courant reprinted dozens of its articles without attribution when the Courant briefly tried "aggregation" from other sources. Had Tribune kept down the path they were on 4 years ago I think there would be a lot stronger argument for breaking up the cross-ownership here.