House Republicans want to give some early Christmas gifts to Rupert Murdoch and other big media companies.

In a last-minute effort to help big TV-station owners, and Murdoch in particular, House sponsors of a huge telecommunications bill are pushing to include additional breaks on station ownership rules beyond what the two chambers of Congress have already approved.

Congressional Democrats and the Clinton administration are furious. Sen. Ernest Hollings (D-S.C.) and other Democrats refused yesterday to attend a negotiating session on the bill dealing with the media ownership issue, congressional sources said. The White House has threatened a veto if the bill permits too much concentration of U.S. media outlets.