The FCC has released five studies relating to media ownership.

The reports, by scholars outside the agency, are meant to help the commission in its periodic media ownership review (MB Docket No. 09-182).

It commissioned 11 studies and released five today. Of those, two are specific to radio: “Station Ownership and the Provision and Consumption of Radio News” and “Radio Station Ownership Structure and the Provision of Programming to Minority Audiences: Evidence from 2005–2009.”

Overall, the studies look at issues that impact diversity, competition and localism.

The commission said it’s releasing the studies now to give people more time to review the results and their underlying data. It has also adopted procedures for public access to those underlying data.

On its website (under “Ownership Studies”), the FCC is making the five studies available, as well as any peer reviews and author responses.

The commission invited public comment on all of the studies; comments are due July 12 for its media ownership Notice of Inquiry.