News

WASHINGTON — Free Press, the national, nonpartisan media reform group, today announced that the fourth National Conference for Media Reform will be held on June 6-8, 2008, in Minneapolis. Thousands of activists, artists, policymakers, journalists and concerned citizens from all 50 states are expected to attend the conference — the only national event devoted exclusively to reforming the media.

CHICAGO — On Sept. 20, all five Federal Communications Commissioners will meet face-to-face with the public at a hearing in Chicago to discuss sweeping changes to the nation’s media ownership rules.

WASHINGTON — Presidential candidates are pushing media reform into the public spotlight and onto the campaign trail with recent statements calling for a more open and democratic media system.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission yesterday asked for public comment on a series of proposals on minority media ownership — after nearly a year of inaction on the issue. In the landmark 2004 Prometheus decision, the FCC was ordered to address minority ownership proposals as part of its review of media ownership rules.

WASHINGTON — The Federal Communications Commission today set the rules governing the auction of the highly valued 700 MHz band of spectrum. The FCC will require the auction winner to use a chunk of the airwaves to build a network where consumers can attach any mobile device and use any application.

WASHINGTON — News reports today indicate that the Bancroft family will accept Rupert Murdoch’s $5 billion bid for Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal. Media scholar and Free Press President Robert W. McChesney made the following statement:

CHICAGO — As part of this week’s YearlyKos Convention in Chicago, Free Press is convening a roundtable discussion with FCC Commissioner Michael Copps on the future of the media — from broadcast to broadband.

WHAT: “A View from Washington: Winning a Better Media for Everyone”
WHEN: Thursday, Aug. 2, 2:00 p.m.

WASHINGTON — Consumer groups blasted the Federal Communications Commission today for releasing biased research favoring further media consolidation. In a new report, the Consumer Federation of America, Consumers Union and Free Press show how the FCC designed a series of studies — released today — to favor lifting the longstanding ban on newspaper-broadcast cross-ownership.

WASHINGTON — Free Press commended Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and his colleagues for introducing legislation to bring broadband competition to communities across the country. Co-sponsored by Sens.

WASHINGTON — Today, Free Press released Shooting the Messenger, a new report that dispels the many myths manufactured by the telecommunications industry to excuse America’s poor broadband performance compared to the rest of the world.