FCC: Screwing America!

The FCC -- actually only the Republican majority on the FCC -- is trying to screw America. It is set to make a monumental change in the way that information is distributed to the American people through our media. It is doing so over the objection of members of Congress and with little advanced warning to the American people.

The rule change that is being proposed would allow -- for the first time in American history -- newspapers and television stations within the same community to be owned by the same entity. In other words, The Denver Post could purchase the local ABC affiliate in Denver or vice versa.

We are already a nation that is far too reliant on information coming to us from far too news sources. Our telecommunications and media laws and regulations have already been weakened far too broadly and deeply. The vast majority of our news comes to us filtered through the eyes of the corporate lense, and corporate interests are just that... corporate, not public.

As citizens, and while we are still able, we must shout down form the mountain tops our steadfast refusal to have this putrescent change in our media rules enacted. To this end, I urge you to contact each of the members of the Federal Communications Commission. Send them a simple e-mail, CC'd to each member, indicating that America has seen enough consolidation of our news media and that we value as a democracy the undiluted voice of the truth more than the lining of corporate pockets.

You can find the e-mail addresses to the members of the FCC here. I would suggest an e-mail similar to the following.

To: Kevin J. Martin, FCC Chairman and all FCC Commissioners

It has come to my attention that the FCC soon plans to rewrite long-standing rules of news media ownership to allow an entity to own both a newspaper and a television station in one operating market. I stand firmly against such a move. The ownership of our news media is already far too focused in the hands of too few corporations. For a democracy to be truly healthy, its people must have access to the news of the day from as many and as varied sources as possible. This rule would advance us farther down the path away from this ideal.

I urge you not to undertake this measure. Thank you for your time.

John Q. Public
Anytown, NY

Act today... there truly isn't much time left.

For more information on this issue, see the following site at PBS. To see who owns the media outlets in your own communities, see this link.

19 November 2007