Media Consolidation ....... Republican Chair of FCC wants to allow more consolidation

Kevin Martin - the Republican chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) - has indicated that he wants to vote to loosen media ownership limits as soon as December 18. But he's not saying exactly what the new rules would be. He wants his agency to make this crucial decision behind closed doors, without public input.


It's eerily similar to what happened in 2003, when Michael Powell's FCC voted for rules to allow massive media consolidation without public input. Under the rules approved by the FCC four years ago, one company would have been able to own up to three television stations, the local newspaper, the cable system and up to eight radio stations in one media market.



After the FCC's misguided 2003 vote, more than 3 million Americans voiced their concerns about media consolidation to the FCC and Congress. In the Senate, a resolution rolling back the rules sponsored by Senator Trent Lott (R-MS) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND), passed overwhelming. Media activists sued the FCC over the rules changes, and they were vindicated by a federal district court in Philadelphia. In 2004, the court threw out the flawed rules, in part because the FCC had not considered public input in the rulemaking.



But it seems that Kevin Martin hasn't learned his lesson. He wants to lock the public out of this decision. That's not acceptable.



Take action today! Here's what you can do:

http://www.commoncause.org/site/pp.asp?c=dkLNK1MQIwG&b=192086

Signed!!!

K & R'd ! ;)