WASHINGTON -- A letter signed by 30 major recording artists is to be sent Tuesday to Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, warning him that further deregulation of the radio industry "will have a negative impact on access to diverse viewpoints and will impede the functioning of our democracy."
The letter is in response to probable FCC plans to eradicate remaining cross-ownership rules.
The artists say that previous radio deregulation has backfired, resulting in "reduced marketplace competition, reduced programming diversity and the homogenization of play lists, reduced public access to the airwaves for local programming, and reduced public satisfaction with listening options."
The letter is a result of the combined efforts of the Recording Academy, the Future of Music Coalition, the Recording Artists Coalition and other groups. It carries the signatures of Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, Don Henley, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, Stevie Nicks, DJ Spooky, Pearl Jam, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, R.E.M., vocalist Michael Stipe and others.
