Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, released an interim report from the Government Accountability Office highlighting the lack of female and minority-owned broadcast stations. <b>S. Derek Turner</b>, research director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON -- Despite a groundswell of public opposition and the disapproval of bipartisan members of Congress, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin plans to vote tomorrow on rules that will let the largest companies swallow up more local media across the country.

WASHINGTON – The Senate Commerce Committee grilled all five members of the Federal Communications Commission on the issue of media ownership at an oversight hearing today.

WASHINGTON -- The <a href="http://www.stopbigmedia.com">StopBigMedia.com Coalition</a> has teamed up with the <a href="http://www.thehpalliance.org">Harry Potter Alliance</a> to mobilize thousands of Harry Potter fans against media consolidation.

WASHINGTON -- Last night, Free Press, Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union filed the attached Further Comments addressing FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's policy proposal by press release that would relax the longstanding newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban. From the summary:

Public interest groups today told the Federal Communications Commission that telephone companies should not have the legal ability to interfere with text messages.

WASHINGTON -- Today the Federal Communications Commission released its Section 257 report – an analysis on market barriers faced by small media and telecommunications businesses released by the federal agency every three years. <b>S. Derek Turner</b>, research director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate Commerce Committee passed the bipartisan "Media Ownership Act of 2007" -- sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.). The bill would direct the FCC to conduct a separate proceeding on localism and create an independent minority and female ownership task force before moving forward with any changes to media ownership limits.

WASHINGTON -- In a showdown on Capitol Hill this week, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission will square off over changes to the nation's media ownership rules that could unleash more consolidation across the country.

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. John D. Dingell (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, launched an inquiry by the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations to investigate the policymaking process at the Federation Communications Commission. <b>Ben Scott</b>, policy director of Free Press, issued the following statement: