Attorney General Richard Blumenthal last week raised concerns that Tribune Co.’s plan to merge its Hartford newspaper and two TV stations violates federal rules barring media cross-ownership.
In a letter to Tribune Chairman Sam Zell, Blumenthal pointed to Tribune’s efforts now underway to blend operations of Connecticut’s largest newspaper, The Hartford Courant, WTIC-TV Channel 61 and WTXX TV Channel 20.
“This plan,’’ Blumenthal wrote, “will effectively merge three principal news media outlets in the Hartford market into a single entity, raising concerns about public access to diverse and competing sources of information.’’
“I am concerned that allowing these entities to fully merge into one news and information operation goes well beyond what the [Federal Communications Commission] intended when it granted Tribune a two-year limited waiver.’’
The attorney general asked, among other things, whether combining the newspaper and broadcast operations ultimately will “extinguish’’ the Courant’s print edition, leaving only an online edition.
Film Fight
The General Assembly’s Commerce Committee, looking for a greater return on the state’s investment in the film industry, approved a bill recently that would require movie companies to produce more of their films in Connecticut in order to qualify for tax credits.
Substitute Senate Bill No. 249 requires that digital media or film companies perform at least 50 percent of production activities in Connecticut, up from the current 30 percent, to receive the tax breaks.
In recent years, Connecticut has become popular with Hollywood moviemakers because of a film tax credit program created in 2006. The credit makes it possible for production companies to receive a tax credit of up to 30 percent of expenses incurred in the state.
In her recent budget proposal, Gov. M. Jodi Rell proposed to cap the state’s film tax credit at $30 million in order to close a growing $8.7 billion two-year deficit.
That plan has drawn fire from the state’s film industry and could possibly jeopardize a California developer’s plans to build a 61-acre film studio in South Windsor.
