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A
PUBLIC FORUM ON MEDIA OWNERSHIP
in Philadelphia |
| with
Federal Communications Commissioner Michael
J. Copps |
event
info
Wednesday, May, 7, 2003
Annenberg School for Communication
University of Pennsylvania
free and open to the public
introduction
On June 2, 2003 the Federal Communications
Commission voted 3-2, along party lines, to further loosen the
FCC's media ownership rules.
While the FCC is mandated to look out for the public’s interest,
in the months leading up to the vote organizations and citizens
from across the political spectrum voiced their opinions—
letting the FCC know that further media consolidation was NOT
in their interest.
Despite the danger that further consolidation could have on our
democracy, then-FCC Chairman Michael Powell begrudgingly agreed
to hold only one official hearing on the issue. This official
forum, held on one day in Richmond, VA, had no chance of providing
an outlet for a wide spectrum of the American public to voice
their opinion on media consolidation.
Media Tank was on the forefront of the national movement to galvanize
the public around this issue and let the FCC hear what they had
to say.
On May 7, 2003 Media Tank organized an unofficial public hearing
in Philadelphia for people from across the city and region to
learn more about media ownership and to give them the chance to
put their comments on the public record.
program
Media Tank was joined by Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael J.
Copps as well as a number of speakers from local media and civic
organizations. After the panelists spoke, the forum was opened
up to the public to offer their views on the issue.
The forum was held at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg
School for Communication and was moderated by Annenberg professor
Larry Gross. The event was co-sponsored by the Temple University
Department of Journalism, the Institute for the Study of Civic
Values, the Philadelphia Independent Film and Video Association,
Drexel University Television, Citizens for Consumer Justice and
WYBE TV35.
Here is the program of events from that night:
- Welcome and Introduction
- Opening Remarks by Commissioner Michael J. Copps
- Panel of Local Media and Civic Representatives
Loraine
Ballard Morrill
News & Public Affairs Director,
Clear Channel Philadelphia
Jeff Gelles
Consumer Columnist, The Philadelphia
Inquirer
Heidi Gold
President, League of Women Voters, Philadelphia
Vince Maisano
International Vice President, Communication
Workers of America
Edward Schwartz
President, Institute for the Study
of Civic Values
Joel Waldfogel
Professor of Business and Public
Policy, The Wharton School |
- Public Comments
outcome
The public forum was a great success. Several
hundred people attended the event, many having to watch and listen
from a separate room next door because of the large turnout. Many
more tuned in from home, listening to the forum on a live webstream
made available on Media Tank’s website. Both the panelists
and the citizens who came contributed hard information and personal
stories to be included in the public record, even if the FCC and
Michael Powell did not want to hear them.
what’s going on now?
Although the June 2, 2003 vote significantly
loosened media ownership boundaries, the fight did not end there.
The new rules were challenged both in Congress and in the courts.
Congress passed a law that helped curb the FCC’s loosening
of local TV ownership limits while a Third Circuit U.S. Court
of Appeals rejected the remaining rule changes in the case Prometheus
Radio Project vs. Federal Communications Commission.
The court’s ruling means that the FCC has to redraft the
ownership rules once more. The legal decision to reject the rules
rested on the courtŐs opinion that the FCC had not fully justified
the proposed rule changes.
Michael Powell has since left the FCC and Republican Commissioner
Kevin Martin is the new chairman. This means that the FCC will
again try to loosen the ownership rules, giving the corporate
media giants more room to expand.
That means we will have to work even harder to fight against further
media consolidation over the coming months and years. Visit our
Media
Ownership page to learn more about the issues surrounding
ownership and consolidation and stay tuned to MediaTank.org for
any news on this ongoing struggle. |
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| RESOURCE
CENTERS |
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| Student
Organizing
Learn
about Media Tank's pilot student group - Students for Media
Education and Reform (SMEAR).
|
| Media
Ownership
Background, articles, and other info about the Federal Communications
Commission's media ownership review and media consolidation. |
| Media
& War
Links and downloadable resources examining the relationship
between the media, government and war-related industries. |
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