Halloween Hijinks at the FCC, Come to DC on October 31st

Posted on October 26, 2007 - 7:53am.

Note: The FCC is also expected to issue an order on video franchising for cable companies (giving them the same provisions the FCC gave the Telcos last year). This is a good day to come to Washington.

Halloween Hijinks at the FCC in DC: Tell Them No to Media Consolidation!

Greetings from the Prometheus Radio Project! Please read this note, and forward widely!

Do the letters F-C-C bring out the monster mogul andcorporate ghoul in you? Does FCC Chairman Kevin Martin have a sick sense of humor, or is he just plain scary?

Important and deafening news! Clear your calendars for the October 31st/Halloween event of a lifetime: a 9am Rally and Public Hearing on Localism at the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC!

This is one of the last times the FCC will hear voices on localism before they move to let big media get bigger forever! The FCC is rushing to consolidate your media system before the end of the year. But we aren't going to let it happen!

Visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=dc for continuing information and updates and http://www.prometheusradio.org for a factsheet on community radio and media consolidation.

Public Localism Hearing
at the Federal Communications Commission
Room TW-C305 following open commission meeting
FCC, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20554 (map)
Date: Wednesday, October 31
Time: 9am - 2pm

You may be aware that the FCC is holding a public hearing in WASHINGTON DC--or you may not, since the FCC only officially announced the October 31st hearing yesterday. It will be at the FCC at 9am. Yup, that's Halloween. Yup, that's only a week's notice for a public hearing. Does Chairman Kevin Martin have a sick sense of humor or is he just plain scary?

Commissioners Copps and Adelstein join us in considering this delayed announcement a direct affront to the public the FCC claims to be hearing: hardly adequate time for concerned citizens to clear their schedules, prepare testimony, and organize to attend the hearing. This announcement comes days after Chairman Kevin Martin indicated that the FCC would vote on lifting the remaining media ownership limits by the
end of 2007. Hardly adequate time for the FCC to consider the public testimony it's been collecting over the past year at media ownership hearings. We think that's beyond insulting.

All the more important that we show up October 31 to express our displeasure at the FCC's blatant disregard for our voices--at public hearings and on the public airwaves. We're going to be there--in costume, of course!--and we call on you to be there, to tell the commissioners what you think about media consolidation and how it has impacted localism and diversity on our airwaves, and to demand that the FCC keep remaining ownership limits in place.

Big broadcasting will be out in full force, so we urge you to attend and make your voice heard! Come as early as you can. If you would like to speak, your testimony should be under two minutes long. There will be materials available to help you craft your testimony at the hearing and on the web . With legislation to expand Low Power FM gaining traction
in Congress, it's a great opportunity to show your support for low power radio.

Visit http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=dc for information and updates, sample testimony, and up-to-the-second news!

And feel free to email us for more information on attending this critical hearing!

The Prometheus Radio Project
http://www.prometheusradio.org

http://www.stopbigmedia.com/=dc
Public Localism Hearing
at the Federal Communications Commission
Room TW-C305 following open commission meeting
FCC, 445 12th Street SW, Washington, D.C. 20554 (map)
Date: Wednesday, October 31
Time: 9am - 2pm