PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

Call for internet action to help stop FCC's media deregulation
by FreeMedia Monday, May. 12, 2003 at 5:30 PM

Use the Internet to educate and to help stop the FCC's plans for media consolidation

On June 2, the Federal Communications Commission intends to lift restrictions on media ownership that could allow your local newspaper, cable provider, radio stations, and TV channels all to be owned by one company.

The result could be the disappearance of the checks and balances provided by a competitive media marketplace -- and huge cutbacks in local news and reporting. Good, balanced information is the basis for our democracy. That's why we're asking that:
"Congress and the FCC should stop media deregulation and work to make the media diverse, competitive, balanced, and fair."

Network news is not giving this issue a fair amount of attention because of self-interest. Many corporate media outlets have set up web sites for people to discuss their programming, products under the corporate umbrella, etc. We can flood these message boards and use their very own tools to educate the public to the dangers of media consolidation.

Some examples:
MTV http://www.mtv.com/community/message_boards/boardsdir.jhtml
BET http://betboards.bet.com
HBO http://www.hbo.com/band/resource_center/cmp/rc_message.html
ABCnews http://abcnews.go.com/sections/community/DailyNews/Community_Index.html#boards
John Stossel (from 20/20) http://boards.abcnews.go.com/cgi/abcnews/request.dll?LIST&room=stossel
ABC's World News Tonight
http://boards.abcnews.go.com/cgi/abcnews/request.dll?LIST&room=worldnewstonight
ESPN http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/messageBoards
Warner Bros http://boards.warnerbros.com
Nickelodeon http://www.nick.com/blab/messageboards/
History Channel http://boards.historychannel.com/

Also be sure to:
1. File a comment with the FCC. The Center for Digital Democracy has a form that simplifies the process:
http://www.democraticmedia.org/getinvolved/ownershipAction_FCCFiling.html

2. Write to your elected officials. You can look up the name and contact information of your Congressional and Senate representatives by entering your zip code at:
http://congress.org/

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