Media Policy and Role of the FCC

Media Policy, Consolidation, the Role of the FCC and the need for Independent Media

Democracy Now! follows the rulings of the Federal Communications Commission closely, particularly as they relate to media consolidation and threats to independent and public media. See the history of DN!’s coverage of the FCC, media policy issues, collaboration of media monopolies in domestic spying and the broadcast of fake news reports.

October 28, 2009: House Advances Measure to Create Hundreds of New Low-Power FM Radio Stations

May 08, 2009: "Pentagon Pundits: New York Times Reporter David Barstow Wins Pulitzer Prize for Exposing Military’s Pro-War Propaganda Media Campaign

April 08, 2009: Bridging the Rural Digital Divide: FCC Starts Work on National Broadband Strategy

April 07, 2009: A Roundtable of Local Florida Journalists on the Future of Newspapers, the Role of Community Media and Cubans in Florida

March 27, 2009: Robert McChesney on ‘The Death and Life of Great American Newspapers’

March 09, 2009: AT&T Accused of Discriminating Against Local Public Access Channels, Deadline for Public Comment Expires Tonight

November 04, 2008: FCC to Vote on Opening Up ‘White Spaces’ on TV Spectrum to Expand Broadband Access

August 04, 2008: FCC Rules Against Comcast for Blocking Web Access

July 29, 2008: Newspapers Suffer Spate of Layoffs, Decline in Circulation, Ad Revenue, Stock Price: A Roundtable Discussion on the State of the Industry

June 09, 2008: Broadcast Legend Bill Moyers on Media Reform: ‘Democracy Only Works When Ordinary People Claim It as Their Own’

June 06, 2008: Robert McChesney and Josh Silver of Free Press on the National Conference for Media Reform

June 06, 2008: FCC Urged to Probe Pentagon Propaganda Program

March 06, 2008: The FCC & Censorship: Legendary Media Activist Everett Parker on the Revocation of WLBT’s TV License in the 1960s for Shutting Out Voices of the Civil Rights Movement

March 06, 2008: FCC Launches Probe of Alabama TV Station Accused of Censoring a 60 Minutes Expose on the GOP’s Prosecution of Alabama’s Imprisoned Former Gov. Don Siegelman

December 26, 2007: ‘Today’s Decision Would Make George Orwell Proud’—FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on the FCC’s Vote to Rewrite the Nation’s Media Ownership Rules

December 17, 2007: FCC Chair Kevin Martin Refuses to Delay Vote on Proposed Rewrite of Media Ownership Rules

November 01, 2007: FCC Commissioners Adelstein and Copps Decry Proposals to Ease Caps on Media Consolidation

October 22, 2007: FCC Chair Kevin Martin Proposes Rules To Allow For Greater Media Consolidation

August 10, 2007: Blog Post: Radio for the People

August 10, 2007: Radio for People: FCC to Grant Licenses for New Full Power Noncommercial FM Radio Stations

August 02, 2007: With New Internet and Cell Phone Rules, Federal Communications Commission Approves Mass Sell-off of Public Airwaves

August 02, 2007: “Robber Baron Over the Last Century”: Dow Jones Union Head on Likely New Boss Rupert Murdoch

June 22, 2007: As Concern Over Media Consolidation Intensifies, New Measures Could Bring Influx of New Noncommercial Radio to the Airwaves

January 25, 2007 911 Calls in North Dakota Town Reveal Dangers of Media Consolidation

January 22, 2007: Sen. Bernie Sanders: If You Are Concerned About Health Care, Iraq, the Economy, Global Warming You Must Be Concerned About Corporate Control of the Media

January 16, 2007 Bill Moyers: Big Media is Ravenous. It Never Gets Enough. Always Wants More. And it Will Stop at Nothing to Get It. These Conglomerates are an Empire, and they are Imperial.

January 12, 2007 As Thousands Gather in Memphis for National Media Reform Conference, A Look at the State of the U.S. Media

December 26th, 2006 FCC Sides with Verizon & AT&T and Votes to Strip Local Communities of Control Over Cable Franchising

October 23, 2006 FCC Commissioner Michael Copps and Juan Gonzalez on the Color of Media Consolidation
Copps and Gonzalez spoke at last week’s town hall meeting in New York on diversity and media ownership.

October 19, 2006 Latino, Monitor Groups Say Proposed FCC Rules Limit Media Diversity
The FCC is currently reconsidering a number of broadcast ownership rules, including whether a single company should be able to own both a newspaper and television station in the same market.

September 13, 2006 FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Discusses New Report That Shows U.S. Falling Behind Rest of World in High-Speed Internet Access
A new report by media activist group Free Press shows that the U.S continues to lag behind the rest of the world when it comes to affordable and accessible broadband service. We speak with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps.

May 12, 2006 Three Major Telecom Companies Help US Government Spy on Millions of Americans

April 06, 2006 FCC Commissioner Says Broadcasting VNRs Without Disclosure May Violate Federal Law A discussion with FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein about the widespread use of corporate-funded video news releases by news stations without disclosure.

March 30, 2006 Report Exposes Telecom Industry’s Astroturf Lobbying Groups

January 13, 2006: FCC vs. The League of Women Voters: A Look at the Case That Pitted Samuel Alito Against Pacifica Radio
On the final day of confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito on Capitol Hill, we look at the 1984 case of that pitted Samuel Alito against Pacifica Radio.

June 16, 2005 As CPB Faces Massive Funding Cuts, A Look Back at the National Media Reform Conference

June 25, 2004 Court Rejects FCC Attempt to Rewrite Nation’s Media Ownership Laws
A US federal appeals court yesterday blocked the implementation of new FCC rules that would have allowed for greater media consolidation.

April 23, 2004 The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communications Politics in the 21st Century
A talk with University of Illinois professor Robert McChesney about his new book, The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communications Politics in the 21st Century.

November 14, 2003 We Need To Go City By City And Take Back The Media For The People–Newspaper Guild President Linda Foley Speaks Out on Corporate Media

November 12, 2003 Rep. Bernie Sanders, FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein and Watchdog Chuck Lewis Speaking From The National Conference on Media Reform

September 4, 2003: In Surprise Decision, Federal Judges Block FCC Media Ownership Rules Court ruling marks major setback to the FCC and Michael Powell; the regulations were to go into effect today. This comes as the major networks launch new pro-FCC lobbying effort. Their message? “America Says: Don’t Get Between Me And My TV.”

August 21, 2003: FCC Head Michael Powell Backpedals & Announces Study on Local Media Ownership After hundreds of thousands of Americans sent letters opposing the FCC’s changes to the media ownership regulations, Powell is bowing to public opinion and rethinking the new rules. Among other things, he yesterday announced the FCC would begin licensing more low-power community FM stations.

July 24, 2003: In A Stunning 400-21 Vote, House Howls Foul Over Powell & FCC Media Regulations The House overwhelming votes to repeal a key provision of the Federal Communications Commission new media ownership rules. Such a vote was unimaginable just six weeks ago when the FCC voted 3-2 to allow the nation’s largest television networks to grow bigger by owning more stations.

July 23, 2003: House Votes 309-118 to Scale Back Patriot Act; FCC Rules May Be Overturned Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) discusses last night`s vote where the House surprisingly voted to bar the Justice Department from secretly searching homes in first vote against Patriot Act. The House may also vote this week to oppose the FCC’s recent media ownership rule changes.

June 20, 2003: Senate Commerce Committee Votes to Prevent Nation’s Largest Media Conglomerates from Growing Even Larger The Senate has begun to reverse the FCC’s vote to relax media concentration rules, but the legislation faces an uphill battle in the House.

June 18, 2003: Senate Commerce Committee Decides Tomorrow Whether to Roll Back FCC Decisions Allowing Massive Media Consolidation. A bipartisan group of U.S. senators plan to push the legislation that would bar a company from owning a television station, a newspaper and radio outlets in a single market.

June 3, 2003: Over the Chants of Protesters The FCC Votes to Unleash the Largest Wave of Media Consolidation in U.S. History The three-decade old ban on a newspaper buying a television or radio station in the same city is largely gone. Broadcast networks are also allowed to buy more stations at the local and national levels.

June 3, 2003: Did Viacom-Sponsored Trips Affect FCC Media Bureau Chief Kenneth Ferree’s Support of Media Consolidation? He Says No. The rule changes are seen as a major victory for media giants, including CBS parent Viacom, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. and Tribune Co.

June 2, 2003: Democracy Now! Goes Live to the FCC Vote on Rules Governing Media Consolidation FCC members prepare the way for the largest wave of media consolidation in U.S. history.

June 2, 2003: “The Whole Thing Reeks of Conflict of Interest. To Begin the Catalog of Corruption Here, You Would Have to do a 24-Hour Marathon.” Robert McChesney, author of eight books on media and politics, discusses the the inner-workings of the FCC and the importance of media diversity.

June 2, 2003: Diverse Organizations from Around the Country Testify Against Media Consolidation From the United Church of Christ to the National Association of Black Journalists to Children Now, organizations around the country speak out.

May 29, 2003: “No More Clear Channel! Stop the FCC Media Giveaway” Despite a National Call for a Delay, the FCC is Poised to Vote on Media Consolidation Rules on June 2nd Protests across the country today against Clear Channel, the symbol of media consolidation.

May 29, 2003: Diverse Organizations from Around the Country Testify Against Media Consolidation “Big media conglomerates get even bigger…that will spell more sensationalism, more crassness, homogenization and even less serious news coverage than we have today. You call this the McDonaldization of American media.”

May 23, 2003: Children’s Programming is at Risk from a Concentration of Ownership in the Media As the FCC is poised to unleash the largest wave of media consolidation, a new study has found that concentration of media ownership leads to a dramatic decrease in children’s programming.

May 22, 2003: Telecommunications Industry Has Lavished FCC Commissioners with Millions of Dollars in Travel Gifts: The revelations come as the FCC is about adopt new media consolidation rules favorable to industry giants.

May 22, 2003: "FCC Commissioner Michael Copps Speaks at the Final Public Hearing Before FCC Overhauls Decades-Old Rules Governing Media Consolidation: FCC Commissioner Michael Powell, son of Sec. of State Gen. Colin Powell, failed to attend the final hearing on new rules that analysts say will lead to the largest wave of corporate media consolidation in U.S. history

May 21, 2003: "Rupert Murdoch’s Digital Death Star”: As the FCC prepares to unleash the largest wave of media consolidation in U.S. history, Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp is already moving in on satellite TV giant DirecTV.

May 20, 2003: Will Changes in the Nation’s Media Ownership Rules Mark the Beginning of the End of Our Democracy? A debate between the publisher of the Seattle Times and a Vice President at the Tribune Co. which owns 15 newspapers including the Los Angeles Times and Newsday as well as over 25 television stations.

May 19, 2003: The U.S.A. Faces Wave of Media Mergers and Unprecedented Consolidation if FCC Relaxes Media Ownership Rules: A discussion with Juan Gonzalez, co-host, Democracy Now! and president of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists and Seeta Pena Gangadharan, co-founder of the Center for International Media Action.

May 19, 2003 Dissident FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein Speaks Out Against Media Ownership Deregulation
Jonathan S. Adelstein, one of five Commissioners on the FCC, has been attending public hearings across the country to find out the public’s views about FCC media ownership rules.

January 17, 2003: Should the FCC Scrap All Remaining Media Ownership Rules? We go to the FCC public hearing with a former FCC Chair, Fox Entertainment Group, the Nat’l Assoc. of Black Owned Broadcasters, the Nat’l Assoc. of Hispanic Journalists and the Center for Public Integrity.

January 16, 2003: Democracy Now! Goes Live to the FCC Hearings in New York: We hear from FCC Chair Michael Powell, Dissident FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, AFTRA President John Connolly, Micro-Broadcasting Pioneer Pete Tridish and Media Critic Mark Crispin Miller.