on media ownership rules. We have ANOTHER opportunity now that M Powell has been smacked down by the courts. Congress involved in this: Rep. Hinchey, along with Reps. Bernard Sanders (I-Vt.), Jay Inslee (D-Wash.), and Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
In case you missed seeing this article from Tuesday,
http://www.ilcaonline.org/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=254&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0<snip>
The FCC, compelled to re-examine its rule-making by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, now has an opportunity to “seek broad-based public input where the impact of such regulatory changes will be felt the most – local media markets,” the unions said in a letter to FCC Chairman Powell.
“That is precisely where our members work and where consumers get the bulk of their news, information and entertainment,” the unions said. The single field hearing held by the FCC last year was “woefully insufficient” to determine the effect the proposed rule changes would have in an already highly concentrated media industry.
A poll of 400 workers from a cross section of print and broadcast news professionals, commissioned by four media unions, provides additional insight into the impact of continued media consolidation on news reporting, diversity of opinion and corporate control of the news. The unions are The Newspaper Guild (TNG-CWA), the National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians (NABET-CWA) – both affiliates of the Communications Workers of America – the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), and the Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE).
The poll reveals that front-line media employees believe that industry consolidation already has compromised the quality of news reporting and they fear that further media concentration will continue the trend and lead to too much control over the news by a few corporate executives.
</snip>
Please keep this kicked-with all the griping that goes on about media wh*res, unfairness, bias and corporate ownership, this goes to the heart of what we need to do. (If you don't see the urgency, run out and watch "Orwell Rolls Over In His Grave").