Five other sites will host meetings, the topic of which will be the recent FCC decision on media ownership.

PORTLAND (AP) – The Federal Communications Commission has picked Portland as the site of one of six public hearings to be held nationwide on the issue of media ownership.

Sen. Olympia Snowe said the hearing will be convened next May by the FCC’s Localism Task Force. At least one FCC commissioner will attend the hearing, which will consider public concerns surrounding proposed new media ownership rules.

After an extensive review, the FCC voted 3-2 in June to ease decades-old ownership restrictions. The changes include allowing a single company to own broadcast stations and a newspaper in the same area.

Snowe and Sen. Susan Collins differed with the commission’s three Republicans on the vote, and have criticized the rules.

Critics say the changes could lead to a wave of media mergers and stifle diversity. A federal appeals court has temporarily blocked the new rules, and the Senate passed a bill that would roll back the rules.

Other hearings will take place in Charlotte, N.C., San Antonio, Texas, Santa Cruz, Calif., Rapid City, S.D. and Washington.

AP-ES-11-20-03 0216EST