June 21, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Craig Aaron,
StopBigMedia.com
(202) 265-1490 x 25

Public Interest Groups Respond to New FCC Ownership Rules

StopBigMedia.com Rallies Public Opposition to Greater Media Consolidation

WASHINGTON - A diverse alliance of consumer, civil rights, labor and media =
reform groups today raised serious concerns about the Federal Communication=
s Commission's latest attempt to change longstanding rules on local media o=
wnership. Urging greater public involvement in the debate over the future o=
f the media, the groups launched a new campaign and Web site at http://ent.=
groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=84380=
025&u=775382.

"For far too long, media policy in this country has been made behind closed=
doors in the public's name but without our informed consent," said Robert =
W. McChesney, president of Free Press. "Despite overwhelming public opposit=
ion to greater media consolidation from across the entire political spectru=
m, the FCC and industry lobbyists are trying to sneak through the same misg=
uided rules rejected in 2003. Chairman Kevin Martin appears to have learned=
little from the last ownership rules debacle. But the public's views are c=
lear: Big Media is already big enough."

At a meeting today in Washington, the FCC issued a "Notice of Proposed Rule=
making," the first step in any new media ownership regulations. But Chairma=
n Martin did not outline the specifics of new rules the FCC could implement=
by the end of the year.

"This innocuous-looking document initiates the single most important public=
policy debate that the FCC will tackle this year," said Commissioner Micha=
el Copps. "Don't let its slimness fool you. It means that this Commission h=
as begun to decide on behalf of the American people the future of our media=
. It means deciding whether or not to accelerate media concentration, step =
up the loss of local news and change forever the critical role independent =
newspapers perform for our country."

The commissioners voted to launch the new process with partial dissents fro=
m Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Copps.

"The manner in which the Commission is launching this critical proceeding i=
s totally inadequate," Adelstein said. "It is like submitting a high-school=
term paper for a Ph.D. thesis. The large media companies wanted, and today=
they get, a blank check to permit further media consolidation."

The new rulemaking allows 120 days for public comment, and FCC Chairman
Kevin Martin pledged at today