Press Release
FCC Chairman Powell is AWOL
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
Washington – Federal Communications Commissioner Chairman Michael Powell announced today that he will not attend the official FCC hearing scheduled for tomorrow, May 26th, in Rapid City, South Dakota. Powell called for this hearing as part of a series of nationwide public hearings after millions of Americans decried last year’s gutting of media ownership rules.
“In the past two months alone,” said Free Press Managing Director Josh Silver, “Powell has attended the posh National Association of Broadcasters annual convention and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association gala, but he doesn’t have time for his own ‘Localism and Diversity’ public hearing to listen to the American people. This is an insult to every American and to democracy itself.”
The South Dakota hearing follows hearings in Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Antonio, Texas. “In San Antonio, hundreds of citizens came out and spent nearly 7 hours decrying media consolidation. It behooves Michael Powell to listen to the American public and consider their criticism.” said Free Press founder Robert W. McChesney. Two more hearings are scheduled in Portland, Maine, Monterey, California and Washington, DC.
Free Press (www.freepress.net) is a national public interest group that seeks to increase informed public participation in media policy and to promote a more competitive, public interest-oriented media system.
“In the past two months alone,” said Free Press Managing Director Josh Silver, “Powell has attended the posh National Association of Broadcasters annual convention and the National Cable and Telecommunications Association gala, but he doesn’t have time for his own ‘Localism and Diversity’ public hearing to listen to the American people. This is an insult to every American and to democracy itself.”
The South Dakota hearing follows hearings in Charlotte, North Carolina, and San Antonio, Texas. “In San Antonio, hundreds of citizens came out and spent nearly 7 hours decrying media consolidation. It behooves Michael Powell to listen to the American public and consider their criticism.” said Free Press founder Robert W. McChesney. Two more hearings are scheduled in Portland, Maine, Monterey, California and Washington, DC.
Free Press (www.freepress.net) is a national public interest group that seeks to increase informed public participation in media policy and to promote a more competitive, public interest-oriented media system.
