News

WASHINGTON — Late Tuesday, the Senate unanimously confirmed Tom Wheeler as chairman of the Federal Communications Commission. Michael O’Rielly was also confirmed as a commissioner.

UPDATE: A gutted version of the USA Freedom Act passed in the House on May 22. Because that bill removed many of the privacy protections that were present in earlier forms of the bill, the Free Press Action Fund did not support it.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Sinclair Broadcast Group responded to a report Free Press released this week.

WASHINGTON — On Monday, Free Press released Cease to Resist: How the FCC’s Failure to Enforce Its Policies Created a New Wave of Media Consolidation. The report investigates how companies are using shady tactics to buy up TV stations and build new national media empires.

WASHINGTON — On Friday, Free Press delivered a letter with more than 75,000 signatures to Attorney General Eric Holder, urging the Department of Justice to end the harassment and intimidation of journalists, specifically at U.S. borders.

WASHINGTON — As the Senate Judiciary and Intelligence Committees plan upcoming hearings on U.S. surveillance programs and data collection, the StopWatching.Us coalition today announced that it will bring thousands to the nation’s capital to rally against mass surveillance.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to eliminate the so-called UHF discount. Getting rid of this outdated loophole is a long-overdue step toward curbing harmful media concentration.

WASHINGTON — Late Friday, Free Press and Put People First! PA filed a petition to deny several broadcast license transfers that are part of Sinclair Broadcasting Group’s acquisition of Allbritton’s TV stations.

WASHINGTON — On Thursday, as part of Lifeline Awareness Week, Free Press Action Fund and more than 80 groups sent a letter to members of the Senate and House Commerce Committees urging them to support and protect the Lifeline Program.

WASHINGTON — On Monday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit heard arguments in Verizon v. FCC — the landmark case on the Federal Communications Commission’s open-Internet rules.