Several telecom and cable companies earned huge profits but paid next to nothing in taxes by exploiting loopholes in the tax code to avoid paying their fair share. And at least 26 journalists have been arrested while covering Occupy Wall Street protests across the country. One reporter kept his camera rolling as he was arrested.

A draconian state law has kept Longmont, Colo., from using its fiber optic broadband network to increase broadband competition and create business opportunities for residents. But the residents are undeterred and will try again to take the network public this November. And Mexico has quickly become one of the most dangerous places for journalists as it has failed to prosecute more than 90 percent of press-related crimes over the last decade.

Comcast’s effort to stifle an organization for criticizing its political work created a bigger problem for the media giant. And North Carolina’s broadband future is looking grim with a new law that severely restricts community broadband networks.

Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) made it clear to Comcast and NBC that the proposed merger of the two companies should not simply be rubber-stamped. And online newspaper San Francisco Public Press is about to launch its first print edition with the help of more than 50 journalists and other nonprofit groups.

At the bipartisan Digital Inclusion Summit at the Newseum, FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn introduced a proposal for a National Digital Literacy Program. And anger about rising cable prices and limited programming options is fueling a citizen’s movement for more competition and a la carte pricing.

A Comcast-NBC Universal mega-merger would be bad news for consumers. And the FCC has jump-started its 2010 media ownership review process with a series of workshops. Public interest groups weighed in about research methods and focus.

In response to ColorofChange.org's call for advertisers to stop airing commercials on the Glenn Beck Show after Beck's racist remarks, 57 companies have pulled their ads. And an appeals court threw out the FCC's ruling that cable companies can't control more than 30 percent of a market. But that doesn't mean that the agency gets to ignore the issue of capping cable ownership.

The FCC wants to know if Comcast is favoring its own digital phone service over others. And Progress Illinois is fighting Fox News for suspending their YouTube account for using video clips from the local Fox affiliate.

Media Minutes looks at five of the top stories of 2008: The FCC proceedings concerning Net Neutrality, the 700 MHz spectrum auction and white spaces; Pentagon propaganda; journalists’ arrests at the RNC; and grassroots media organizing for PEG and LPFM.

The FCC voted to punish Comcast for blocking users’ access to the Internet. And the People’s Production House arms up-and-coming journalists with the skills they need to create media.