News

WASHINGTON - In testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee today, Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott urged Congress to expand the Universal Service Fund (USF) to broadband networks without delay.

Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Media Access Project and Free Press sent the following letter to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) in response to introduction of the Internet Non-Discrimination Act of 2006:

March 2, 2006

The Honorable Ron Wyden
United States Senate
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Wyden:

Today, an unlikely coalition of more than 50 groups representing over 15 million people launched an unprecedented campaign to fight AOL’s new pay-to-send email proposal.

WASHINGTON - Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) today delivered nearly 40,000 petitions to the Justice Department and Congress, calling for an investigation into illegal “covert propaganda” produced by the Bush administration.

WASHINGTON — House Democrats today released a Government Accountability Office report chronicling more than $1.6 billion spent by the Bush administration since 2003 on public relations and advertising.

WASHINGTON — New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer announced yesterday that his office has subpoenaed nine of the largest radio conglomerates as part of his ongoing payola investigation. Timothy Karr, campaign director of Free Press, made the following statement:

WASHINGTON - The Bush administration’s 2007 budget, delivered to Congress on Monday, cuts $103.5 million in federal funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) over the next two years. Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Paula A. Kerger, a top executive at New York’s Educational Broadcasting Corporation and Thirteen/WNET, has been named as the next president and CEO of the Public Broadcasting Service.

Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Two-thirds of Internet users have serious concerns about practices by Internet network owners to block or impair their access to information and services, and the majority of those surveyed support congressional action to prevent this practice, according to a new poll released today by consumer and public interest groups.

WASHINGTON — New guidelines for improving its internal governance are tepid and do little to restore the public’s faith in the scandal-ridden Corporation for Public Broadcasting, Common Cause, Free Press and the Center for Digital Democracy stated today.