In a major setback to the Federal Communications Commission and its chairman Michael Powell, a federal appeals court yesterday blocked the implementation of the FCC’s new media ownership rules. The regulations which are expected to lead to greater media consolidation are to go into effect today.

The request of the stay was sought by the Prometheus Radio Project, a Philadelphia-based advocacy group for low power radio stations.

Dissident FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said, “The court has done what the commission should have done in the first place.”