Editorials / Opinion

THE Federal Communications Commission begins the new year without Mr. Public Interest, Michael J. Copps, an outspoken critic of media consolidation.

His strong, persistent voice will be missed on a panel evermore inclined to move newspapers, radio, television and broadband toward the smothering embrace of corporate conglomeration.

Copps, 71, announced in early December he would resign. The commissioner often stood alone, sounding an alarm over the consequences of FCC decisions he saw as putting too much power in the hands of media and telecommunications giants.

Copps understood the outcome was an erosion of local and investigative journalism, and ever-higher hurdles for minority ownership and diversity of employment.

The public interest is not served by a homogenization of media voices that denies communities access to local news and cultural events.

Copps was the lone dissenter against the Comcast Corp. takeover of NBCUniversal, and voted against other consolidations during his decade of public service.

In a Los Angeles Times interview, Copps described resource-rich investigative journalism as hanging by a very thin thread: "In too many cases we have dumbed down the civic dialogue."

The impact of consolidation on opportunities for minorities to buy and manage media outlets has been a special concern for Copps. Who, if anyone, will take on his awareness of, in his words, "nontraditional stakeholders" is not apparent.

Two vacancies now exist on the five-member commission. Democrat Jessica Rosenworcel and Republican Ajit Varadaraj Pai have been nominated by President Obama.

Copps's tenacity and sense of urgency about media consolidation and diversity are job qualifications that must be met in the public interest.