Free Press Policy Updates

Free Press Questions FCC Stance on Data Caps

Jenn Ettinger — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:57:34 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski said that he generally supports data caps and tiered broadband pricing plans. The chairman’s comments came during an interview at the Cable Show with former FCC Chairman Michael Powell, now the top lobbyist with the National Cable and Telecommunications Association.

Free Press Criticizes NAB Decision to Challenge Political File Order

Jenn Ettinger — Tue, 22 May 2012 11:13:09 -0400

WASHINGTON -- On Tuesday, the National Association of Broadcasters filed a petition with the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals challenging the Federal Communications Commission's April order requiring broadcasters to put their political file information online.

Free Press: Comcast Should Eliminate Punitive Data Caps Altogether

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 17 May 2012 15:19:28 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, Comcast announced plans to raise its data caps from 250 GB per month to 300 GB in some areas. The company said it would also impose new overage charges on customers who exceed those caps.

Free Press: Media General Station Sale Shows Failure of Runaway Media Consolidation

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 17 May 2012 11:41:16 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, media giant Media General announced that it would sell its 63 newspapers to Berkshire Hathaway for $142 million.

Free Press to Sen. DeMint, Rep. Lamborn: Check Your Math

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 10 May 2012 13:19:22 -0400

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.

70,000 Petition Congress to Hold Hearings on News Corp. Corruption

Jenn Ettinger — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:43:33 -0400

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.

Senate Confirms New FCC Commissioners Pai and Rosenworcel

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:14:20 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Monday, the Senate confirmed Ajit Pai and Jessica Rosenworcel as the newest members of the Federal Communications Commission.

Free Press President and CEO Craig Aaron made the following statement:

Free Speech and Digital Rights Groups Call on Department of Justice to Protect Everyone’s Right to Record

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 03 May 2012 11:33:36 -0400

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.

FCC Tells Comcast to Stop Discriminating Against Competing News Channels

Jenn Ettinger — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:11:45 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, the Federal Communications Commission issued an order directing Comcast to stop denying Bloomberg placement in Comcast’s “news” neighborhoods. The ruling is in response to Bloomberg’s complaint filed last June.

Sony Executive Confirms Harms of Comcast's Discriminatory Data Caps

Jenn Ettinger — Wed, 02 May 2012 11:53:23 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Wednesday, Ars Technica reported that Sony Vice President and General Manager Michael Aragon expressed concern about Comcast’s discriminatory data cap policies. Aragon said that Sony is having second thoughts about starting its own online video service.

Free Press Monitoring Journalist Arrests During May First Occupy Protests

Jenn Ettinger — Tue, 01 May 2012 09:57:11 -0400

WASHINGTON – Occupy Wall Street organizers and activists have planned a day of protests for this Tuesday, and Free Press is calling on local, state and federal policymakers to ensure that the rights of all people to record and document these activities are protected.

Free Press: Hulu Change Is Bad News for Consumers and Competition

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 14:34:38 -0400

WASHINGTON -- According to press reports Monday, the popular website Hulu will move to an authentication system similar to the “TV Everywhere” model large cable providers like Comcast favor. Hulu will now allow only those with a cable TV subscription to access its broadband video content.

FCC to Broadcasters: Put Your Public Files Online

Jenn Ettinger — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:56:52 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Friday, the Federal Communications Commission voted to require television broadcasters to make their public and political files available online. Stations are already required by law to maintain these files, but up until now they were available only in paper form.

House Votes to Pass CISPA Despite Major Opposition

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 18:53:05 -0400

WASHINGTON – On Thursday, in an unexpected evening vote, the House of Representatives voted 248-168 to pass the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), the controversial bill that would give the government and companies virtually unlimited power to track people online.

Public Interest Groups Urge Senate Commerce Committee to Scrutinize Broadband Data Caps

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:53:36 -0400

WASHINGTON –– On Monday, Free Press, Consumers Union, the New America Foundation and Public Knowledge sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee urging it to consider the usage of punitive data caps by broadband providers. The committee is holding a hearing on online video on Tuesday, April 24.

Letter to Senate Commerce Committee on Impact of Data Caps on Online Video

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 10:30:59 -0400

Free Press, Consumers Union, New America Foundation and Public Knowledge sent a letter to the Senate Commerce Committee urging it to consider the usage of punitive data caps by broadband providers in its online video hearing scheduled for Tuesday, April 24.

Verizon's Plan for Spectrum Sale Confirms Warehousing

Jenn Ettinger — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:49:00 -0400

WASHINGTON -- On Wednesday, Verizon Wireless announced plans to sell off its 700 MHz A and B licenses if the Federal Communications Commission approves its acquisition of spectrum licenses from SpectrumCo, Cox and Leap Wireless.

Free Press Research Director S. Derek Turner made the following statement:

Free Press Action Fund Joins Stop Cyber Spying Week to Protest CISPA

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:33:59 -0400

WASHINGTON –– On Monday, public interest groups and civil liberties organizations launched a week of Internet-wide protests against the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act of 2011 (CISPA), the controversial cybersecurity legislation that would negate existing privacy laws and allow companies to share user data with the government without a court order.

Free Press Urges Public Broadcasters to Reject Attack Ads

Jenn Ettinger — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:08:00 -0400

WASHINGTON –– On Thursday, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down a ban on political advertising on public television and radio stations. The court said that permitting this type of advertising would not threaten or undermine the educational nature of public broadcast stations. It upheld the ban on advertising by commercial and for-profit companies.

FCC Plans to Put Public and Political Files Online -- in Some Markets

Jenn Ettinger — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 12:12:31 -0400

WASHINGTON –– Late Friday night before the holiday weekend, the Federal Communications Commission announced that it plans to vote on an order requiring television broadcasters to put their public inspection files online, including important political advertising records. The item was listed in the agency’s tentative agenda for its April 27th open meeting.