News

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Wednesday to open the airwaves to hundreds of new Low Power FM radio stations across America. The Local Community Radio Act (HR 1147), introduced by Reps. Mike Doyle (D-Penn.) and Lee Terry (R-Neb.) and supported by more than 80 co-sponsors in the House, now awaits a vote by the full Senate.

WASHINGTON — The public interest group Free Press commends Rep. Rick Boucher (D-Va.) for his efforts to marshal public resources for improvements to broadband that will benefit consumers.

WASHINGTON — The Obama administration’s announcement today of $182 million in grants for rural broadband projects was welcomed by the public interest group Free Press.

WASHINGTON — Today at its December open meeting, the Federal Communications Commission heard an update on the progress of the National Broadband Plan. Promoting competition was a promised theme of the plan.

WASHINGTON — Free Press today released Making the National Broadband Plan Work for America, a public interest guide that lays out the central questions that must be answered by the Federal Communications Commission in its efforts to build a National Broadband Plan for America.

Washington, DC — Today, AT&T sent a letter to the FCC outlining their new approach to Net Neutrality rules. Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Comcast Corp. announced on Tuesday the launch of “TV Everywhere,” an online video service that is available only to Comcast cable subscribers. The new business model poses a serious threat to online video competition.

WASHINGTON — High early termination fees are a major barrier to consumer choice in the mobile phone marketplace and are preventing millions of consumers who want a new carrier from making the switch, according to a new report released on Thursday by the Government Accountability Office.

WASHINGTON — C. Edwin Baker, a prominent communications law scholar at the University of Pennsylvania, defender of the First Amendment, and advocate for media and democracy, died Dec. 8. He was 62.

WASHINGTON — Free Press, Consumers Union and Consumer Federation of America today released a new analysis of the “public interest commitments” offered by Comcast following the announcement of its merger with NBC Universal.