News

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation in response to the petition and complaint filed by members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition calling for an immediate end to the blocking of legal peer-to-peer file-sharing services by Comcast and other Internet service providers.

WASHINGTON — Today, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin announced his intention to investigate blocking of peer-to-peer file-sharing services by Comcast and other Internet service providers.

WASHINGTON — Today, Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) introduced the “Media Ownership Act of 2007” (H.R.4835) – the House companion to a Senate bill (S. 2332) sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.) — legislation that would overturn disastrous new media rules approved yesterday by the Federal Communications Commission.

WASHINGTON — The new media ownership rules passed by a 3-to-2, party-line vote at the Federal Communications Commission on Tuesday are far worse for the public interest — and more favorable to Big Media companies — than anything FCC Chairman Kevin Martin previously revealed to the public.

WASHINGTON — Today, the Federal Communications Commission voted to remove the longstanding “newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership” ban that prohibits a local newspaper from owning a broadcast station in the same market.

Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON – Today, Rep. Edward Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, released an interim report from the Government Accountability Office highlighting the lack of female and minority-owned broadcast stations.

S. Derek Turner, research director of Free Press, issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Despite a groundswell of public opposition and the disapproval of bipartisan members of Congress, Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin plans to vote tomorrow on rules that will let the largest companies swallow up more local media across the country.

WASHINGTON – The Senate Commerce Committee grilled all five members of the Federal Communications Commission on the issue of media ownership at an oversight hearing today.

WASHINGTON — Last night, Free Press, Consumer Federation of America and Consumers Union filed the attached Further Comments addressing FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s policy proposal by press release that would relax the longstanding newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership ban.

From the summary:

WASHINGTON — The StopBigMedia.com Coalition has teamed up with the Harry Potter Alliance to mobilize thousands of Harry Potter fans against media consolidation.