[Davis Democrats] Stop Media Consolidation in California

[John Chendo]

------ Forwarded Message
From: Robert McChesney <list at freepress.net>

Subject: Stop Media Consolidation in California

 <http://www.freepress.net/>

 <http://www.stopbigmedia.com>  Tell The FCC to Stop Big Media in CA
<http://www.stopbigmedia.com/comment.php> Support StopBigMedia.com
<https://secure.freepress.net/05/stopbigmedia>


The Federal Communications Commission and industry lobbyists are trying to
let huge media companies get even bigger by resurrecting the same rule
changes that millions of Americans rejected in 2003.

Last week, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin began the process of relaxing ownership
rules. If he prevails, we will see the further demise of local news,
independent voices and critical journalism.

In 2003, your letters and calls stopped this nonsense. Now we need to do it
again. 

Tell the FCC that Big Media is Big Enough
<http://www.stopbigmedia.com/comment.php>
This is the first step in Chairman Martin's calculated effort to gut some of
the last remaining limits on media ownership.

When the FCC last tried to change these rules under then-Chairman Michael
Powell, some 3 million people contacted the FCC and Congress to oppose the
action. The rule changes were later overturned by the courts, sending the
FCC back to the drawing board.

Now Chairman Martin -- backed by the biggest media giants -- is angling to
eliminate the newspaper-broadcast "cross-ownership" ban that prevents a
single conglomerate from owning the major daily newspaper as well as radio
and TV stations in a single market. And he wants to lift local ownership
caps on how many TV stations one company can own in your town.

If these rule changes were approved, one company could own the major paper,
eight radio stations and three television stations in the same city.

A handful of huge companies already control nearly all of the media in
America. Such concentration destroys local news, sidelines dissenting views,
and stifles competition. When we allow one company to own everything, we
lose the diversity of views that is the lifeblood of our democracy.

Take Action To Stop Big Media: Send Your Comments to the FCC
<http://www.stopbigmedia.com/comment.php>
Today, a diverse alliance of groups launched the www.StopBigMedia.com
<http://www.stopbigmedia.com"> Coalition to make sure that the public voice
is heard before Washington policymakers sell what's left of the local and
independent media. 

The only way we'll win is to flood the FCC docket with more than a million
public comments opposing further media consolidation.

Your action today makes a difference.

Onward, 

Robert W. McChesney
President
Free Press
www.freepress.net 

P.S. Help get a million public comments into the FCC. Forward this email to
five friends and ask them to take action now.

P.P.S. For more on what's at stake, read FCC Commissioner Michael Copps'
commentary in the Financial Times: www.freepress.net/news/16168
<http://www.freepress.net/news/16168>

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