KUDOS:

The Columbia Journalism Review devotes its November/December issue to examining the state of the magazine industry. In a sidebar story entitled; "Some Winners You Might Have Missed," the magazine describes the Santa Cruz, Calif., quarterly El Andar as "an ethnic magazine that's more than ethnic cheerleading." CJR is available online at www.cjr.org DEREGULATION? With the Republican Party's capture of the Senate Nov. 5, some media experts predict further deregulation of media ownership, according to reports published in the magazines Broadcasting and Cable and Mediaweek. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) will take over as chair the Senate Commerce Committee, which oversees communication policy, in January. McCain has criticized the FCC for not moving fast enough to modify its broadcast ownership rules. As this commission reviews current regulations, consumer rights groups argue that reducing diversity among media owners goes against the public interest. FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, a Democrat, states that the GOP-controlled agency has been moving too fast to rewrite its rules without first conducting a more thorough examination. Copps says he will hold his own hearings on the proposed changes. LESS COVERAGE: The number of news organizations covering the FCC has dropped from seven in 2001 to five in 2002, according to the American Journalism Review's Project on the state of U.S. newspapers. In its October edition, the publication reports that news organizations have reduced their coverage of key government agencies such as the FCC and the Labor Department. Those still covering the FCC are The New York Times, Associated Press, Reuters, Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post.