U.S. FCC media ownership vote delayed for a study on minority impact

WASHINGTON, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Communications Commission will not vote on new media-ownership rules until an outside study of an impact on minority broadcasters is complete, the agency's chairman said on Tuesday.

The Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, a Washington-based non-profit focused on equal opportunity in mass media, will conduct the study on the impact of cross-ownership rules on minority ownership and newsgathering.

The study will take several weeks, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said. The commission then will gather public comment on the subject before taking a vote, he said.

The FCC is in the process of reviewing broadcast ownership rules, including longtime limits on cross-ownership of a newspaper and a broadcast outlet in a single market.

"In this heavily litigated area where a strong record is particularly important, I believe this is a sensible approach to moving forward and resolving the issues raised in this proceeding," Genachowski said in a statement.

(Reporting by Alina Selyukh; Editing by Dan Grebler)