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Let’s stop big corporations from eliminating our voices from the public airwaves!
The Federal Communications Commission is once again taking up the issue of media ownership and deciding how media ownership rules should be changed.
The consolidation of media ownership by giant corporations eliminates
diverse and local sources of news, music, and entertainment programming. As
conglomerates combine media outlets across America, AFTRA members
have seen:
• Decreased coverage of local issues and fewer editorial perspectives in news
• Fewer and less diverse opportunities for actors as the last remaining independent
producers struggle to survive
• Homogenization and disappearance of radio formats
• Elimination of opportunities for airplay for recording artists
That’s why it’s crucial for working people to speak out at the Oct. 3 hearing in
Los Angeles. Your help, right now, is needed if we are going to stop the further
consolidation of media ownership, which critically affects our jobs, our lives, and
our communities.
Join the effort to protect diversity of voices in the media:
• File comments as an individual citizen opposing further relaxation of media
ownership regulations.
• Send us your examples of how consolidation of media ownership has had an impact on
your professional life for AFTRA to use in its public comments.
• Attend one of the official public hearings organized by the FCC. The first hearing will be
October 3 in Los Angeles. Other hearings will be scheduled shortly.
• If the FCC doesn't come to your community, work with your Local to organize a town
hall meeting or symposium on media consolidation. FCC commissioners Copps and
Adelstein are holding informal hearings around the country and may be willing to come
to your city.
• Mobilize and educate friends, co-workers, and others about the effects of media
consolidation.
For more information, call 323.634.8100 or visit or www.stopbigmedia.com today.
“By allowing the reduction of outlets for diverse opinions and voices through the concentration of power in fewer and fewer corporate hands, the Federal Communications Commission condemns Americans to a country where the public interest suffers, democracy suffers, and working people suffer.”
John P. Connolly, AFTRA National President |
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FCC Schedules Oct. 3 Public Hearing for L.A. on Media Ownership
Associated Press) August 11, 2006 - The Federal Communications Commission said it will conduct a public hearing in Los Angeles on media ownership issues on Oct. 3.
The agency is considering whether to eliminate a ban on cross-ownership of broadcast stations and newspapers, whether to increase the number of radio and television stations a company may own in a single market and other rules.
In 2003, the FCC loosened the limits on media ownership.
An appeals court in Philadelphia invalidated the rules and sent them back to the agency for reconsideration. The public has until Sept. 22 to file comments with the commission. |
Tell the FCC Your Media Consolidation Stories. AFTRA members know the effects of consolidation of media ownership on our jobs, our lives, and our communities. Now is your chance to tell your stories about what media consolidation is doing to you. AFTRA wants to include your information in our official filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which has issued a new "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" on its media ownership rules. Click here for more information and to take action>>
Media Consolidation: Who Owns What? Click here to view this online resource available from the Columbia Journalism Review.
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