Which Way, L.A.?

Mergers in Los Angeles Newsrooms

Reporters and editors at KCBS-TV and KCAL will soon be working under a single banner rather than in competition after KCAL's purchase by media giant Viacom, which already owns CBS. Recently revised federal regulations have resulted in three such "duopolies" in the LA market. The others are News Corporation, which owns Fox and KCOP, and NBC, which runs KNBC and KVEA, Spanish-language Telemundo. Will the public suffer from one less independent voice or gain from stronger news gathering? Will corporate buyouts diminish competitive investigations and reporting on public officials and issues of public interest? We hear from a local news director at KTLA, a national industry spokeswoman and an associate dean at USC's Annenberg School for Communication. Managing Editor Kyle McKinnon guest hosts. Newsmaker: MALDEF Files Latino Lawsuit on Redistricting Latinos no longer need special provisions to ensure political representation, according to a trio of federal judges. The dismissal of a lawsuit by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund could set a precedent throughout the US where boundaries have been drawn to ensure Latino majorities, and often Latino city council members and state representatives. Thomas Saenz is MALDEF's vice president of litigation.