In an open letter to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairman Kevin Martin, Michael R. Fancher, Editor at Large of Sunday's Seattle Times, claimed that the elimination of rules against same-market common ownership of newspaper and broadcast would cause "catastrophic consequences" for journalism and democracy itself.

The FCC held its final public hearing on ownership rules in Seattle Friday. According to published reports, the majority of the speakers and audience opposed lifting the 1975 cross-ownership ban.

"What surprises me is how clearly the people get it," Fancher wrote in the letter published on the paper, according to Editor & Publisher. "On the left and on the right, they know that bigger media aren't in their best interest. That's what people from all walks of life told you Friday night."

Fancher's boss, Seattle Times Co. Chairman Frank Blethen has been an outspoken and rare newspaper publisher who opposes lifting the rules.

"You probably assume I'm just doing my boss' bidding here, so I should tell you the rest of the story - When Frank first started talking publicly about the threat of media consolidation about 20 years ago, I told him he was tilting at windmills. Nothing I said dissuaded him," Fancher wrote.

"When Frank started opposing cross-ownership, I said we should be thinking about acquiring a TV station, rather than fighting to keep rules in place that would prohibit that. Frank figured it might be good for The Times if it could own a TV station but it would be bad for the community and bad for democracy. He chose principle over pragmatism."

Fancher said over time he eventually came to the conclusion that media ownership concentration has damaged journalism and threatens democracy by putting reporting in the hands of corporate special interests. He said he was particularly worried that publishers would be forced to cut newsroom staff even more “if they do not get the opportunity to diversify into other media.”

"Can you possibly think that allowing cross-ownership and further media consolidation will be good for newsrooms, journalists and communities?" Fancher stated in the letter. "That ever bigger media will put public service above profits? The massive disinvestment that has been taking place in American journalism in recent years has been done to maintain relatively high profit margins. It has damaged the ability of the press to do its job," E&P reported.