FCC defends media ownership rules in federal court

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Federal Communications Commission lawyers were defending rule changes before a federal appeals court that would allow companies to own newspapers and television stations in the same city for the first time. 

The change is being challenged by a coalition of media access groups, who argue that it and other regulatory reforms made by the FCC last year will stifle competition between media companies, trigger mergers and leave too many broadcast outlets in the hands of just a few large corporations.