[PAA-Discuss] FW: Stop Media Consolidation in Texas

[zappa2004]

Stop Media Conglomerates in Your Town
-----Original Message-----
From: Robert McChesney [mailto:list at freepress.net]
Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2006 10:04 AM
Subject: Stop Media Consolidation in Texas



            Dear Kathryn,



                  Tell The FCC to Stop Big Media in TX


                  Support StopBigMedia.com






            The Federal Communications Commission and industry lobbyists are
trying to let huge media companies get even bigger by resurrecting the same
rule changes that millions of Americans rejected in 2003.


            Last week, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin began the process of
relaxing ownership rules. If he prevails, we will see the further demise of
local news, independent voices and critical journalism.


            In 2003, your letters and calls stopped this nonsense. Now we
need to do it again.


            Tell the FCC that Big Media is Big Enough


            This is the first step in Chairman Martin's calculated effort to
gut some of the last remaining limits on media ownership.


            When the FCC last tried to change these rules under
then-Chairman Michael Powell, some 3 million people contacted the FCC and
Congress to oppose the action. The rule changes were later overturned by the
courts, sending the FCC back to the drawing board.


            Now Chairman Martin -- backed by the biggest media giants -- is
angling to eliminate the newspaper-broadcast "cross-ownership" ban that
prevents a single conglomerate from owning the major daily newspaper as well
as radio and TV stations in a single market. And he wants to lift local
ownership caps on how many TV stations one company can own in your town.


            If these rule changes were approved, one company could own the
major paper, eight radio stations and three television stations in the same
city.


            A handful of huge companies already control nearly all of the
media in America. Such concentration destroys local news, sidelines
dissenting views, and stifles competition. When we allow one company to own
everything, we lose the diversity of views that is the lifeblood of our
democracy.


            Take Action To Stop Big Media: Send Your Comments to the FCC


            Today, a diverse alliance of groups launched the
www.StopBigMedia.com Coalition to make sure that the public voice is heard
before Washington policymakers sell what's left of the local and independent
media.


            The only way we'll win is to flood the FCC docket with more than
a million public comments opposing further media consolidation.


            Your action today makes a difference.


            Onward,


            Robert W. McChesney
            President
            Free Press
            www.freepress.net


            P.S. Help get a million public comments into the FCC. Forward
this email to five friends and ask them to take action now.


            P.P.S. For more on what's at stake, read FCC Commissioner
Michael Copps' commentary in the Financial Times:
www.freepress.net/news/16168


            = = = = = =






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