News

WASHINGTON — Consumer groups today warned the Federal Communications Commission not to be fooled by the proposed “concessions” offered by AT&T and BellSouth for approval of their merger. In comments filed with the FCC, Consumers Union, Consumer Federation of America, Free Press and U.S.

WASHINGTON — Consumer groups emphasized the critical link between democracy and an open and independent media in detailed comments filed with the Federal Communications Commission today on a proposed loosening of media ownership rules.

WASHINGTON — Local communities across the nation will be harmed, and have fewer choices for news and views, if the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) loosens key limits on media ownership, according to new research conducted by the Media and Democracy Coalition (MDC), an alliance of national and local groups representing millions of Americans.

PORTLAND — Sen. Ron Wyden today joined large and small business owners, labor leaders and consumer advocates in calling on Congress to protect Network Neutrality — the endangered principle that ensures all Web sites and services are treated equally.

WASHINGTON - In a letter yesterday to the Federal Communications Commission, Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy refuted spurious claims made by the Radio Television News Directors Association (RTNDA) and the National Association of Broadcast Communicators (NABC), a new consortium of broadcast PR firms, about the FCC’s ongoing investigation into corporate-funded “fake news” on local

Federal Communications Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will attend a town hall meeting in New York City on Thursday, Oct. 19, to discuss diversity in the broadcast industry.

WASHINGTON — In response to the FCC’s decision to reschedule its vote on the merger of AT&T and Bell South, Free Press Policy Director Ben Scott made the following statement:

WASHINGTON — The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division today signed off on the $78 billion union of AT&T and BellSouth, placing no conditions on one of the largest mergers in U.S. history. The Federal Communications Commission is scheduled to vote on the deal at a meeting on Thursday.

MADISON, WIS. – The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) today rebutted claims made about its April 2006 report, Fake TV News: Widespread and Undisclosed – which sparked an ongoing investigation by the Federal Communications Commission into the misuse of video news releases, or VNRs, by local television stations.

LOS ANGELES — A standing-room only crowd of more than 500 Angelenos packed into USC’s Davidson Conference Center today to speak out against media consolidation.