WASHINGTON,
D.C. – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), a member of the Energy
and Commerce Committee, today said, “The Bush Administration and the FCC
have tuned out public voices and tuned in Rupert Murdock and all other
media barons.”
Schakowsky
joined nearly100 of her House Democratic colleagues to release a letter
to Michael Powell, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC),
in support of free and open media and against efforts by the Bush Administration
to destroy already weakened media ownership rules. Powell has indicated
his support for a proposal that would limit even further consumer choice
by allowing a few media conglomerates to own more media outlets.
A decision by the FCC is expected on June 2, 2003. Below is Schakowsky’s
statement from today’s news conference:
“I
am honored to join my colleagues to call on FCC Commissioner Powell and
President Bush to listen to the American people, to support media diversity
and localism, and to oppose even more media concentration.
“The
Bush Administration and the FCC have tuned out public voices and tuned
in Ruppert Murdock and all other media barons. Unless you sit on
top of a media empire, no one actually believes that concentrating more
power in the hands of media moguls is in the best interest of the public.
“People
in my district and around the country are demanding that FCC hear their
voices. That is why last week the Chicago City Council unanimously
approved a resolution urging the FCC to strengthen existing media ownership
rules, not weaken them.
“A
free and open media is central to our democracy. It promotes civic
discussion, encourages public participation in policy debates, and ensures
representation of ideological, cultural and geographic diversity.
I cannot overstate the importance of the FCC’s review of media ownership
rules in deciding whether the principles of the First Amendment will be
embraced in every day reality, or only in theory. Clearly, this is
the most important telecommunications issue of our time.
“Over
the last few years, we have seen considerable ownership consolidation in
the media; while at the same time we have seen important public interest
protections eliminated, like the fairness doctrine. Unfortunately, the
public is now faced with increased concentration – not increased competition
– and no longer has the fairness doctrine to fall back on. The FCC should
reinstate the fairness doctrine. At the very least, they should not
allow even more ownership concentration that makes the loss of the fairness
doctrine even more onerous.
“We
must maintain media diversity and localism. We cannot allow information
to be monopolized, rationed or censored because a free and open media is
critical to the functions of a democratic society. The stakes are high
and the threat to free speech is all too real.” |