Press Release
Broad-Based Coalition Mobilizes for FCC Hearing in Harrisburg
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- On Feb. 23, all five Federal Communications Commissioners will meet face-to-face with the public at a hearing in Harrisburg to discuss sweeping changes to the nation's media ownership rules.
"Big media companies have plenty of opportunities to make their views known in Washington," said Beth McConnell, director of the PennPIRG Education Fund. "This hearing is the chance for Pennsylvanians to be heard on the dangers of media consolidation. We're grateful that the FCC chose to visit Central Pennsylvania, and encourage citizens from all parts of the Commonwealth to participate in this important hearing."
The hearing -- the third of six events being held across the country by the FCC -- will feature an "open microphone" session for the public to offer testimony on a first-come, first-served basis. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.
A broad-based coalition of local and national groups is urging its members to attend the hearings and testify about the impacts of media consolidation. They include the Communications Workers of America, Common Cause, Consumers Union, Free Press, Media Tank, Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association, The Newspaper Guild, PennPIRG Education Fund, Pennsylvania NOW, Prometheus Radio Project, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., and U.S. PIRG.
The FCC is currently reviewing longstanding media ownership rules, including the limits on the number of television and radio stations a firm can own in one area and the prohibition on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership -- which prevents companies from owning a television or radio station and the major daily newspaper in most markets.
"There has been no improvement in the level of minority broadcast television ownership since 1998, even as the total number of stations has increased," said Kimberly Marcus, director of media and telecommunications for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "There has been a marked decrease of African-American-owned stations -- dropping nearly 30 percent since 1998. Ownership of the public airwaves should reflect the diversity of the American public."
"When people want to know what happened at the latest city council meeting or when the next school board meeting is, they turn to their local television stations and newspapers," said Joel Kelsey, organizer for Consumers Union. "These are by far the most dominant sources of local news and information. By lifting the ban on cross-ownership of television stations and major daily newspapers, the FCC would be allowing the two most competitive sources of local news to merge. Weakening ownership caps undermines any remaining benefits of local competition, limits consumer choice and will make it much harder for localism and diversity to thrive in American media."
In 2003, Martin joined then-Chairman Michael Powell in voting to seriously weaken these same media ownership rules. In response, millions of people contacted the FCC and Congress to oppose the changes. The Senate voted to overturn the rules, which were later tossed out in federal court -- sending the FCC back to the drawing board.
"In cities like York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, and all across Pennsylvania, local people's airwaves are taken up by distant broadcasters who have no stake in the community," said Hannah Sassaman, program director of the Philadelphia-based Prometheus Radio Project, the lead plaintiff in the case that overturned the rule changes. "We are telling the FCC that they have the power to protect local voices by keeping consolidated station owners from 2,000 miles away off our local airwaves when a hometown group wants to start their own low power FM community radio station."
The Harrisburg event follows hearings held in Los Angeles on Oct. 3 and Nashville on Dec. 11. Unofficial hearings, attended by Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, have been held during the past two years in Norfolk, Va.; Asheville, N.C.; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Austin, Texas; Oakland, Calif.; New York City; Hyde Park, N.Y.; Seattle; and Philadelphia.
"This hearing is a long overdue opportunity for the public to weigh in on the crucial decisions that shape our media," said Amanda Ballantyne, field organizer for Free Press. "Before letting giant media corporations swallow up more local outlets, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and the other commissioners need to hear how these Big Media firms are serving -- or failing to serve -- local communities in Pennsylvania."
For more information, visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=harrisburg
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"Big media companies have plenty of opportunities to make their views known in Washington," said Beth McConnell, director of the PennPIRG Education Fund. "This hearing is the chance for Pennsylvanians to be heard on the dangers of media consolidation. We're grateful that the FCC chose to visit Central Pennsylvania, and encourage citizens from all parts of the Commonwealth to participate in this important hearing."
The hearing -- the third of six events being held across the country by the FCC -- will feature an "open microphone" session for the public to offer testimony on a first-come, first-served basis. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. at the Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts.
A broad-based coalition of local and national groups is urging its members to attend the hearings and testify about the impacts of media consolidation. They include the Communications Workers of America, Common Cause, Consumers Union, Free Press, Media Tank, Mid-Atlantic Community Papers Association, The Newspaper Guild, PennPIRG Education Fund, Pennsylvania NOW, Prometheus Radio Project, the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, United Church of Christ Office of Communication, Inc., and U.S. PIRG.
The FCC is currently reviewing longstanding media ownership rules, including the limits on the number of television and radio stations a firm can own in one area and the prohibition on newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership -- which prevents companies from owning a television or radio station and the major daily newspaper in most markets.
"There has been no improvement in the level of minority broadcast television ownership since 1998, even as the total number of stations has increased," said Kimberly Marcus, director of media and telecommunications for the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. "There has been a marked decrease of African-American-owned stations -- dropping nearly 30 percent since 1998. Ownership of the public airwaves should reflect the diversity of the American public."
"When people want to know what happened at the latest city council meeting or when the next school board meeting is, they turn to their local television stations and newspapers," said Joel Kelsey, organizer for Consumers Union. "These are by far the most dominant sources of local news and information. By lifting the ban on cross-ownership of television stations and major daily newspapers, the FCC would be allowing the two most competitive sources of local news to merge. Weakening ownership caps undermines any remaining benefits of local competition, limits consumer choice and will make it much harder for localism and diversity to thrive in American media."
In 2003, Martin joined then-Chairman Michael Powell in voting to seriously weaken these same media ownership rules. In response, millions of people contacted the FCC and Congress to oppose the changes. The Senate voted to overturn the rules, which were later tossed out in federal court -- sending the FCC back to the drawing board.
"In cities like York, Harrisburg, Lancaster, and all across Pennsylvania, local people's airwaves are taken up by distant broadcasters who have no stake in the community," said Hannah Sassaman, program director of the Philadelphia-based Prometheus Radio Project, the lead plaintiff in the case that overturned the rule changes. "We are telling the FCC that they have the power to protect local voices by keeping consolidated station owners from 2,000 miles away off our local airwaves when a hometown group wants to start their own low power FM community radio station."
The Harrisburg event follows hearings held in Los Angeles on Oct. 3 and Nashville on Dec. 11. Unofficial hearings, attended by Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein, have been held during the past two years in Norfolk, Va.; Asheville, N.C.; Los Angeles; Milwaukee; Austin, Texas; Oakland, Calif.; New York City; Hyde Park, N.Y.; Seattle; and Philadelphia.
"This hearing is a long overdue opportunity for the public to weigh in on the crucial decisions that shape our media," said Amanda Ballantyne, field organizer for Free Press. "Before letting giant media corporations swallow up more local outlets, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and the other commissioners need to hear how these Big Media firms are serving -- or failing to serve -- local communities in Pennsylvania."
For more information, visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=harrisburg
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