"Media chaos" is how Michael Powell, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), summarises the state of his agency's efforts to deregulate America's media industry. It is hard to disagree. It is barely three months since the media industry's regulator announced liberalising changes to its rules limiting the freedom of firms with public-broadcasting licences to buy other media companies. But Mr Powell now finds himself in a fierce battle with politicians, two fellow commissioners and the courts. Mr Powell does at least retain the support of President George Bush, however, who could exercise for the first time his right to veto legislation in order to rescue Mr Powell from his enemies in Congress. This week Rupert Murdoch, boss of News Corp and bogeyman to the rule-change opponents, put the odds on a veto at 60%.
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