In recent weeks, Sam Zell and the Tribune Co. have bounded about Capitol Hill trying to convince lawmakers to let them retain ownership of television stations and newspapers in several markets where they own both.

You might remember that former FCC chairman Michael Powell bumbled this issue a long while back. It was supposed to be a sure thing but quickly deteriorated into mass hysteria in which media companies were supposedly trying to rule the world.

According to conspiracy theorists, media can't be trusted to own the major newspaper and television station in the same market. To me, their logic implies we're allowed to publish in multiple mediums just so long as we're not very good at it.

When barriers to cross-ownership fall, it will trigger a Golden Age in media, during which convergence better serves the people. A reader should be able to get news from USA Today in any medium they want. The same goes for the local market. I should be able to watch news from my newspaper, or read it, or listen to it on the radio. There’s no reason to constrict news organizations by medium.

But I don’t know if that was part of Zell’s argument to legislators. Being a business man, I’m guessing he told them that the restrictions were killing his business. It’s hard enough to compete in this world of exploding media choices, nevermind when the government doesn’t let you participate in all the choices.