Press Release
Free Press Joins Civic Coalition in Demand to FCC: Set Public Interest Obligations for Broadcasters
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
Washington, DC – As top officials from the Federal Communications Commission prepared to meet with the nation’s broadcasters in Las Vegas, a coalition of media activists, grassroots groups and public interest groups urged the FCC to provide clearly defined public interest obligations for licensees of the publicly owned airwaves.
In particular, the Public Interest, Public Airwaves Coalition is calling on the FCC to define minimum standards to ensure that licensed broadcasters serve citizens by airing more robust civic and electoral programming.
The coalition’s demand comes as broadcasters are lobbying the FCC to force cable companies to carry their multicast, digital signals – a gift that would reap massive profits for broadcasters as they convert from analog to digital television. In 1996, broadcasters received billions of dollars worth of the public’s airwaves, free of charge, with the expectation that they would “pay” in the form of enhanced requirements to serve the public interest. However, the FCC has not defined these standards.
“Broadcasters are cashing in on a billion-dollar giveaway of the public’s resources, and it’s time that they served the public interest,” said Free Press Managing Director Josh Silver. “If the FCC doesn’t take action, Big Media will continue to use the public’s airwaves to rake in big bucks from money-drenched campaigns, while cutting back on substantive coverage of issues and elections.”
The Public Interest, Public Airwaves Coalition includes Alliance for Better Campaigns, Benton Foundation, Center for Creative Voices in Media, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Cause, League of United Latin American Citizens, Media Access Project, MediaChannel.org, MoveOn.org, New America Foundation, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc and more.
Free Press is a national public interest group that seeks to increase informed public participation in media policy and to promote a more competitive, public interest-oriented media system. For more information about Free Press, see www.freepress.net.
For more information about the public interest coalition supporting this proposal, see www.pipac.info.
In particular, the Public Interest, Public Airwaves Coalition is calling on the FCC to define minimum standards to ensure that licensed broadcasters serve citizens by airing more robust civic and electoral programming.
The coalition’s demand comes as broadcasters are lobbying the FCC to force cable companies to carry their multicast, digital signals – a gift that would reap massive profits for broadcasters as they convert from analog to digital television. In 1996, broadcasters received billions of dollars worth of the public’s airwaves, free of charge, with the expectation that they would “pay” in the form of enhanced requirements to serve the public interest. However, the FCC has not defined these standards.
“Broadcasters are cashing in on a billion-dollar giveaway of the public’s resources, and it’s time that they served the public interest,” said Free Press Managing Director Josh Silver. “If the FCC doesn’t take action, Big Media will continue to use the public’s airwaves to rake in big bucks from money-drenched campaigns, while cutting back on substantive coverage of issues and elections.”
The Public Interest, Public Airwaves Coalition includes Alliance for Better Campaigns, Benton Foundation, Center for Creative Voices in Media, Center for Digital Democracy, Common Cause, League of United Latin American Citizens, Media Access Project, MediaChannel.org, MoveOn.org, New America Foundation, Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, Inc and more.
Free Press is a national public interest group that seeks to increase informed public participation in media policy and to promote a more competitive, public interest-oriented media system. For more information about Free Press, see www.freepress.net.
For more information about the public interest coalition supporting this proposal, see www.pipac.info.
