Washington, D.C. Future of Music Coalition (FMC) — a national nonprofit that seeks a bright future for musicians and listeners — participated in today’s “public interest panel” on media ownership before the FCC’s Media Bureau in advance of their 2010 media ownership rulemaking proceedings.

The purpose of today’s convening was to assist the FCC in developing an analytical framework as it begins its quadrennial media ownership review, Congressionally mandated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. Every four years, the Commission undertakes rulemaking proceedings to “determine whether any of such rules are necessary in the public interest as the result of competition,” according to the FCC. To aid the agency in achieving its stated goals of localism, competition and diversity in media, FMC delivered a statement about the importance of robust data collection and analysis in service of these objectives.

“FMC has been stressing the importance of proper data collection since we started observing trends in radio in 2000,” said Kristin Thomson, FMC Education Director and FCC Media Workshop participant. “Our studies of station ownership consolidation since the 1996 Telecom Act have shown massive consolidation of ownership, revenue and audiences to large station group owners, increasingly homogenized music formats, and tremendous barriers for artists seeking airplay. The only way for things to improve is for the FCC to understand what’s happening in this sector. Which is why collecting more and better data is so important.”

Today’s Media Workshop also included Ken Ferree (Senior Fellow, The Progress and Freedom Foundation), Cheryl Leanza (Policy Director, The Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ), Andy Schwartzman (President and CEO, Media Access Project, on behalf of Prometheus Radio Project) and S. Derek Turner (Research Director, Free Press).

While Thomson’s statement stressed the importance of robust and accurate data for media policymaking, it also noted the difficulties inherent in collecting of such information — particularly proprietary data that comes from industry-owned commercial providers. “Proprietary data sets are often the most reliable source of data that researchers have, but they are often really expensive and not entirely appropriate for research needs,” Thomson said. Additionally, restrictions are often placed on the use of the data by the owner. Due to licensing constraints, researchers are frequently not able to share their data with other researchers, the public, or even with the FCC.

Thomson’s statement also included recommendations for the Commission that would improve its ability to collect relevant data while reducing the submission burden on broadcast licensees. Specific types of data that would aid the FCC in crafting informed policy include: better data about station ownership; changes in station ownership since 1996; details about Local Marketing Agreements; the number of women or people of color in leadership or ownership roles; the station’s primary, secondary and tertiary formats; the amount of a broadcast week dedicated to particular types of programming and whether that programming is locally generated or from a networked source; whether the station is webcasting or programming HD channels; and its charity work in the community.

In order to collect this information from station owners in a timely and accurate fashion, FMC suggests that the FCC should “build a modern data management system that is flexible, uses relational databases to connect it all together, and makes a majority of fields searchable and all queries downloadable. This would greatly improve the Commission’s ability to conduct proper oversight, to more efficiently conduct high-quality research and allow outside access to similar data… FMC urges the Commission to seize this moment to undertake a drastic overhaul of its data management system.”

FMC also recommends that the Commission set up an advisory committee that includes academics, broadcast industry representatives, researchers and government officials to implement data collection protocols and periodically review results.

Kristin Thomson’s full statement can be downloaded here (PDF).

The entire workshop can be viewed here.