FCC Votes to Deregulate Media
Update: "The Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted 3-2 to allow the broadcast networks to own television stations that reach a combined 45 percent of the national audience, up from 35 percent. "
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The FCC is set to vote today on revamping media ownership rules. The fight isn't over even if the media prevails.
The FCC is expected to vote today to ease long-standing rules governing ownership of newspapers, TV and radio stations. The rules limit the number of TV stations a company can own, prevent big networks from merging and prohibit companies from owning newspapers and broadcast stations in the same market.
Today's vote will likely fall along party lines, with the three Republican commissioners indicating they support lifting some ownership limits, including a ban on one company owning newspapers and broadcast stations in the same city. The two Democratic commissioners are opposed....But deregulation opponents say they have no intention of letting the fight end today. They plan to battle on in the courts, and on Capitol Hill.
Consumer groups claim the issue is gaining traction with growing numbers of Americans of all political persuasions. Those groups have been sounding the alarm about the threat of concentration of media power in fewer corporate hands....Unlikely bedfellows on both sides of the political fence are rallying against the changes - from the National Rifle Association and the Family Research Council to the CodePink women's peace movement and the National Organization for Women.
``We're immediately going to mobilize and focus on Congress,'' said Jeff Chester, executive director of the Center for Digital Democracy. ``It says an awful lot when groups both on the left and right think the media is too tightly controlled and are fearful that their voices aren't being heard.''
Lisa English of Ruminate This has been covering this issue from top to bottom. Go over and read how you can join the fight and be heard. She provides all the tools. As Lisa says, "These are our airwaves, let them know we've only begun to fight."
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