Press Release
Supreme Court rejects industry appeal of ownership rules
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court today denied the appeal of a group of media corporations seeking to overturn and appeals court ruling in Prometheus Radio Project v. Federal Communications Commission. That lower-court decision last June threw out the FCC rules issued in June 2003 that would have significantly loosened media ownership restrictions over television stations and newspapers. The Bush administration did not join the appeal of the ruling.
Free Press executive director Josh Silver issued the following statement:
"The brazen attempt to loosen media ownership restrictions by the big media corporations and their cronies at the FCC now has been definitively rejected by the courts and the American people. Will the FCC use this rebuke as an opportunity to institute media policy that reflects the wishes of the millions and millions of Americans who oppose greater media consolidation? Or will the majority on the commission simply try to sneak in the same indefensible policies through the back door? The public will be watching very closely.
"FCC leadership – including whoever fills the vacant seat of the commission – should heed the call by Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein for nationwide public hearings on media ownership before taking up these rules again. Decisions on the future of our media system must reflect the will of the American public -- not just the whims of the big media moguls. Such monumental decisions should not be made behind closed doors in Washington."
Free Press executive director Josh Silver issued the following statement:
"The brazen attempt to loosen media ownership restrictions by the big media corporations and their cronies at the FCC now has been definitively rejected by the courts and the American people. Will the FCC use this rebuke as an opportunity to institute media policy that reflects the wishes of the millions and millions of Americans who oppose greater media consolidation? Or will the majority on the commission simply try to sneak in the same indefensible policies through the back door? The public will be watching very closely.
"FCC leadership – including whoever fills the vacant seat of the commission – should heed the call by Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein for nationwide public hearings on media ownership before taking up these rules again. Decisions on the future of our media system must reflect the will of the American public -- not just the whims of the big media moguls. Such monumental decisions should not be made behind closed doors in Washington."
