Image Kevin J. Martin, the Federal Communications Commissions head, is expected to leave next year. Credit... Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

“It’s exactly the kind of consolidation I would hope the commission finds is not in the public interest because the free flow of information in this country is not accommodated by having fewer and fewer voices determine what is out there,” Mr. Dorgan said. “They try to argue that there are all these outlets  the Internet, television, radio, newspapers and so on. It may be more outlets, but it’s the same ventriloquists. You have five or six corporate interests that determine what most Americans see, hear and read.”

Mr. Murdoch managed to control two local television stations through one permanent and one temporary waiver to the old rule. But the renewal of the licenses of both stations, under review since 2006, has been challenged by groups opposed to greater media consolidation.

“He was outside the permissible rules to begin with, and since the broadcast licenses were under review, he’s acquired The Wall Street Journal and now maybe Newsday,” said Andrew Jay Schwartzman, the president of the Media Access Project, an advocacy organization committed to diversity of media voices. Mr. Schwartzman has helped lead the effort against renewal of the New York broadcast licenses controlled by News Corporation.

Gary Ginsberg, a spokesman for News Corporation, declined to comment, as did Mr. Martin.

News Corporation has already joined a group of other broadcasters and newspaper companies in a lawsuit challenging the ownership restrictions as a violation of their First Amendment rights. In the meantime, the company is expected to seek a permanent waiver from the commission to permit it to own the two stations and three newspapers.

Image Rupert Murdoch has a tentative deal to buy his third New York-based paper, Newsday. Credit... Jonathan Fickies/Getty Images

Industry lobbyists said that News Corporation would tell the commission that its ownership interests pose no problem because New York is the most diverse media market in the world. It is also expected to tell the commission that consolidation is vital to help the ailing newspaper industry  a variation of the claim made by Mr. Martin in justifying his decision to relax the old ownership rule modestly.