News

WASHINGTON - Members of Congress today expressed their support for the concept of “open access” during a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the pending auction of a valuable piece of the public airwaves.

WASHINGTON — Reacting to a new Free Press study on radio ownership, national women’s rights and civil-rights leaders condemned the FCC for failing to address the low number of diverse media owners.

WASHINGTON — More than a quarter-million Americans have urged the Federal Communications Commission to use a valuable slice of the public airwaves to make Internet access more open, affordable and accessible to everyone. The massive public outcry comes as the FCC prepares to set conditions on the auction of the newly available “700 MHz band” of spectrum.

WASHINGTON - In response to Thursday’s announcement that the board of Dow Jones & Co. is considering selling the Wall Street Journal to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp., Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver issued the following statement:

WASHINGTON — Free Press today praised Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) for introducing legislation to improve the quality of broadband data collected across the United States. The “Broadband Data Improvement Act” (S. 1492) would direct federal agencies to measure the availability, speed and value of U.S.

A group of public interest organizations today told the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that the auction early next year of desirable and useful spectrum should be structured to foster the development of high-speed wireless services to compete with the telephone and cable companies.

COLUMBUS — Consumer groups and local public access stations are urging Ohio state legislators to oppose Senate Bill 117 — legislation that would eliminate longstanding consumer protections and local oversight of cable TV providers. The bill, which already passed the state Senate, will be considered by a key House committee tomorrow, May 23.

WASHINGTON — Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott told Congress today that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has failed to uphold its obligation to effectively collect data on broadband deployment across the United States.

WASHINGTON — Free Press pledged support for the bipartisan “Internet Radio Equality Act of 2007,” introduced Thursday by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) to rescue Internet radio.

TALLAHASSEE — Consumer groups and local public access stations are urging Gov. Charlie Crist to veto the “Consumer Choice Act of 2007” — legislation that would eliminate long-standing consumer protections and local oversight of cable TV providers. This legislation, which passed the Florida Senate and House in late April, is now on the governor’s desk awaiting his decision.