WASHINGTON -- In a letter sent Tuesday to the Federal Communications Commission, Free Press and other consumer groups asked the agency to press Verizon Wireless after the company failed to adequately respond to the agency’s questions regarding unfair cell phone penalty fees.

<p class="body">WASHINGTON -- Free Press and other consumer groups are calling on federal antitrust authorities and Congress to investigate agreements among giant media companies to stifle competition in the emerging market for online television programming.

WASHINGTON -- Sen. <strong>John Kerry</strong> (D. - Mass.) sent a letter Tuesday morning to FOX and Time Warner Cable urging the companies to place the interest of consumers at the forefront while finalizing negotiations to carry local programming.

WASHINGTON -- In a letter sent Friday from Verizon Wireless to the Federal Communications Commission, the company admits it is imposing unfair penalty fees to deter consumers from switching carriers.

WASHINGTON -- The public interest group Free Press commends <strong>Rep. Rick Boucher</strong> (D-Va.) for his efforts to marshal public resources for improvements to broadband that will benefit consumers.

WASHINGTON -- The Obama administration’s announcement today of $182 million in grants for rural broadband projects was welcomed by the public interest group Free Press.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to open the airwaves to hundreds of new Low Power FM radio stations across America. The Local Community Radio Act (HR 1147), introduced by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Penn.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and supported by more than 80 co-sponsors in the House, now awaits a vote by the full Senate.

WASHINGTON -- Today at its December open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission heard an update on the progress of the National Broadband Plan. Promoting competition was a promised theme of the plan.

WASHINGTON -- Free Press today released <em>Making the National Broadband Plan Work for America</em>, a public interest guide that lays out the central questions that must be answered by the Federal Communications Commission in its efforts to build a National Broadband Plan for America.

WASHINGTON -- Comcast Corp. announced on Tuesday the launch of "TV Everywhere," an online video service that is available only to Comcast cable subscribers. The new business model poses a serious threat to online video competition.