European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 25, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The stars and stripes Page 10 columns William f. Buckley or. Monday. January 25,1988 Kennedy is. Murdoch Over a weak acc Rule in 1975. The teat of monopoly opinion broke oui into a fresh regulation. The Federal communications commission ruled that no one who owned a newspaper in in american City could proceed to buy a television station in that City. The idea was to protect Young  r from being indoctrinated in a single Point or View by the Media lords. It was an honest idea but Mil very thoughtful. To begin with most television nations thai touch on pub Lic affairs lend to be members of what Joe Sobran Calls the hive . They move together Parcelin out he to gel areas and munching away at Llic enemy contentedly. It is hard to think of any major conservative political figure or objective that of find a familiar scene. Ohte again. Madoch is trying to escape the rules. The Federal communications com Mission in 1975 adopted a regulation that forbids  in Jar in a person or company cannot own both a newspaper and a television station in the same Market. When he was already the owner of inc Boston Herald and the new York Post Murdoch bought television stations in those iwo cities. The acc gave him temporary waivers of the Cross own ship Rule waivers that expire March 6 in new York and june 30 in Boston. In Hal situation Congress acted. The final catch Asi appropriations Bill last month included a rider forbidding the acc to change the Cross ownership Rule or a land any waivers of in. The provi Sion was inserted in conference of the Lasi minute without a Vole in either House of the Behest of sons. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts and Ernest Hollings. Of South Catolina. Without thai legislation Mur Doch might Well have escaped the rules once More. His outrage Al the Bill Sug Gest that this was his expectation the present acc has a record of caving in to Industry views. And it is being urged by something called the Freedom of expression foundation which Murdoch supports to drop the Cross ownership regulation altogether the legislation has been denounced in esl Ravagni terms As censorship a Viola lion of he first amendment and so on. Thai is just faustian. The supreme court decided Long ago thai the first amendment gives the press no exemption from the antitrust Laws. Indeed diversity of press ownership is essential to the whole idea of the first amen Domeni. James Madison s vision of Many Independent newspapers giving the people different views is threatened by today s concentration of ownership. Congress could if in wished forbid any Cross ownership of print and Broad cast outlets. To enforce the facts More limited regulation is plainly within con Gressional Power. Whal is really in question is the wis Dom of what Congress did and inc integrity of is process. In Boston the Herald makes a valuable contribution. Is politics and its style arc. Not always 10 my liking but in is an aggressive and needed competitor to the dominant Globe. But in need not be owned by Murdoch. His cd lors and managers have made it a profitable paper and he could sell it. Or of course he could keep it and sell his television station in arc. The new York Post losing Money is really in danger of disappearing if Mur Doch is willing to subsidize it from his television Stanon in order to have the Power of a newspaper proprietor in new York that May be the Only Way to keep it going. In is the kind of Issue a fair minded acc should hear and decide. Midnight legislation prevents careful weighing of such issues by the acc Congress or anyone. Kennedy says he was not motivated by dislike of Mur Doch s politics. If so he should agree to reopen the rider and Lei the economic and other Issacs in new York be consid ered. A Good end cannot justify sneaky Means. It is necessary to be fair even to those who mock the rules. But tears for Rupert Murdoch tie idea brings to mind what Oscar Wilde said after Reading Dickens the old curiosity shop one must have a heart of Stone to read the death of Little Nell without