I’m not normally one to tune into commercial radio, but I still find this morning’s news sad: The Boston Phoenix is selling radio station WFNX to (yeah, you guessed it) Clear Channel.

read more

This week, Free Press joined a wide-ranging array of groups in signing a letter opposing a cybersecurity bill under consideration in the Senate. 

WASHINGTON -- According to press reports, Sen. Jim DeMint and Rep. Doug Lamborn are circulating letters in the Senate and House to drum up a new round of opposition to public media. The letters propose cutting all federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and its nearly 1,300 local stations, arguing that the $445 million CPB budget is an “enormous” cost to taxpayers.

The answer: the Federal Communications Commission and Congress.

While the media mogul was called before Parliament and hammered by regulators in the United Kingdom, few in the halls of U.S. power are willing to call News Corp. to account for the “culture of corruption” that has spread through its media empire.

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Free Press sent a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Jay Rockefeller that praises the senator for requesting that British authorities share any information they have uncovered about violations of United States law during their investigation of News Corp. and its subsidiaries.

One of the most common complaints about radio is that no matter where you go on the dial, it all sounds the same. You can take a small step today to change that — dramatically.

read more

This is a love story about television. My love story about television.

We just finished the 250th and final Media Minutes radio podcast. After producing 1,250 minutes of interviews, we’re saying goodbye.

read more

We wanted to do something special to mark our 250th and final Media Minutes program. Producers Stevie Converse and Candace Clement share some favorite moments from the last five years. Keep an eye on www.freepress.net for future stories incorporating audio and our entire archive.

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, nine leading free speech and digital rights groups called on U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder to focus attention on the alarming number of arrests of people documenting Occupy protests. Free Press has chronicled more than 70 such arrests since last September.