Stop Big Media

100 Days to Stop Big Media

Josh Stearns — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:06:32 -0700

Thanks to you, last month the Senate passed a critical bill that is the first step to stopping the FCC from letting Big Media get even bigger. Now the House must do the same.

Today we're launching a "100 Co-sponsors in 100 Days" drive. It's an all-out effort to get 100 House members to sign-on to the Resolution of Disapproval (H.J. Res. 79), which overturns the FCC’s giveaway to conglomerates. With your help this can happen before summer's end.

Bill Moyers on Senate Victory to Stop Big Media

mthompson — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:43:56 -0700

NCMR 2008 speaker Bill Moyers talks about your recent victory in the Senate to Stop Big Media.

FCC's latest Big Media giveaway: Paris Hilton = hard news

mthompson — Tue, 06 May 2008 10:42:02 -0700

The FCC just ruled that Fox's celebrity gossip show "TMZ" qualifies as a "bona fide newscast" --making it even easier for Big Media companies to replace real journalism with cheap junk news.

YOUR TURN: Free Press activists take on Big Media

mthompson — Mon, 05 May 2008 06:50:03 -0700

Free Press activist Michelle Potter made this video to spread the word about media consolidation and our campaign to Stop Big Media -- before the shot clock runs out.

Media Minutes: May 2, 2008

Fri, 02 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Media Minutes 2008-05-02

candace — Thu, 01 May 2008 13:55:37 -0700

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced the agency will craft a new plan for a national public safety network. And the Senate Commerce Committee passed a legislative veto of the FCC’s new media ownership rules as Rupert Murdoch prepared to bid for a third New York newspaper.

UPDATE: Stop Big Media -- before the shot clock runs out

mthompson — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 08:33:14 -0700

Over 250,000 of you wrote Congress and the FCC to Stop Big Media -- and Congress has responded.

Hacker on News Corp. Payroll for 10 Years

Stevie Converse — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 07:08:19 -0700

Rupert Murdoch, apparently not content to destroy The Wall Street Journal and Newsday (and, in the process, The New York Times) has resorted to hiring hackers.

CBS in Talks to Outsource Some of its Newsgathering to CNN

Stevie Converse — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 07:12:48 -0700

CBS, the home of the most celebrated news division in broadcasting, has been in discussions with Time Warner about a deal to outsource some of its news-gathering operations to CNN, two executives briefed on the matter said Monday.

Not Your Father's FCC

Stevie Converse — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:16:25 -0700

"To the extent that the ownership of and control of...broadcast stations falls into fewer and fewer hands," the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) concluded, "the free dissemination of ideas and information, upon which our democracy depends, is threatened." With those words, the FCC ordered the breakup of the leading broadcast network and banned a single company from owning more than one station per city.

Rifts in Family and Companies Hang over Redstone’s Legacy

Stevie Converse — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:43:11 -0700

In mid-March, the media mogul Sumner M. Redstone was in Palm Beach, Fla., for a Wall Street firm’s annual media conference when he was asked about his legacy.

Sam Zell: A Tough Guy in a Mean Business

Stevie Converse — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 04:39:04 -0700

Since taking control of the Tribune Company in December, Sam Zell has drawn a lot of attention in journalism circles for speeches laced with profanity, political incorrectness, insults and self-deprecating humor.

Murdoch Sees Antitrust Concerns in Potential Newsday Purchase

Stevie Converse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 08:55:13 -0700

News Corp. Chairman and Chief Executive Rupert Murdoch said Wednesday that acquiring Long Island's Newsday newspaper would benefit his New York Post, but acknowledged that U.S. antitrust officials might seek to block the acquisition.

No Shift in Radio Suit

Stevie Converse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 07:46:15 -0700

A federal judge refused a request on Wednesday by a group of banks to move a lawsuit filed by Clear Channel Communications and its buyers from Texas state court to the federal system.

Senate Committee Delays Vote on FCC Rules

Stevie Converse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:17:30 -0700

The Senate Commerce Committee is delaying for several weeks its expected vote on overturning the Federal Communications Commission’s media-ownership rules changes.

Dorgan vs. the FCC

Stevie Converse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 06:14:41 -0700

These days, when Sen. Dorgan (D-North Dakota) makes the case that the FCC has moved from referee to cheerleader in the fight over media control -- "shaking the pom-poms for more media concentration" -- he's sounding increasingly prescient.

ACLU Asks Senate to Block FCC Media Ownership Change

Stevie Converse — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 05:32:10 -0700

The American Civil Liberties Union wants to see the Federal Communications Commission's recent media ownership rule change overturned. In a letter to the heads of the Senate Commerce Committee -- which is holding a hearing Wednesday on a resolution to overturn that decision -- the ACLU said it was all for it.

Senate Panel May Vote Against Easing Media Cross-Ownership

Stevie Converse — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:47:54 -0700

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee may vote today to reverse an agency's decision to let companies such as Tribune Co. own a broadcast station and daily newspaper in the 20 largest markets.

Brad Friedman Speaks at Common Cause Media Reform Conference

Stevie Converse — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:45:01 -0700

[Editor's note: To watch the videos of Brad Friedman's opening statement and during the Q&A, click here.

The Grave Dancer

Stevie Converse — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 08:29:05 -0700

When the Tribune Company went private in December, Sam Zell completed a deal that many had said he couldn't get done. Now comes the hard part -- staying solvent.