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Forum to Address FCC Policies on Media Diversity
CWA's TNG and NABET sectors, along with other groups that say democracy depends on a free press with many viewpoints, are taking part in a Columbia University Law School forum next week to put public pressure on the Federal Communications Commission to back off rule changes that would let big media companies get even bigger.
At least two FCC commissioners are expected to attend the Jan. 16 event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frank Altshul Auditorium on the school's New York City campus.
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley is coordinating a panel of speakers, including several journalists, who will discuss how the pending changes in media ownership rules will affect journalism and the quality of information the public gets. Jim Joyce, vice president of NABET Local 51016, will also speak. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Writers Guild of America East and the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees also have been working with TNG-CWA on this issue.
"Today, six major corporations control most of the once-independent TV stations, radio stations and newspapers in our country," Foley said. "If the ownership rules are further relaxed, we could see one or two conglomerates controlling the networks, cable and the Internet and even dominating local news markets. This dramatically affects decisions about what stories and advertisements are published or broadcast, and that affects people's access to information, a cornerstone of our democracy."
CWA has filed a brief with the FCC opposing the changes, which include lifting what's left of media cross-ownership rules that bar one company from owning a newspaper and TV station in a single community. The union's filing includes statements from several TNG-CWA reporters describing the chilling effect of cross-ownership, such as this one from a TV columnist: "When the Nielsen TV ratings come out, I know I am expected to write a big story if the co-owned station's ratings are good and to bury the story if the co-owned station's ratings are down." In other cases, media unions have been refused ad space or coverage of labor disputes by media companies that largely control their market.
June Besek of Columbia Law School's Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts said a wide range of panelists including studio heads, independent producers, politicians and the FCC board have been invited. "We hope that this forum will present a comprehensive discussion of the changes and how they will affect the entire country," she said.
Another forum on the rule changes is planned for Los Angeles, tentatively set for Feb. 18. A formal hearing called by FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who originally scheduled no public forums, is also planned for February in Richmond, Va. A date hasn't been set.
For updated information on dates and other details, as well as background on the issue, CWA's filing and the specific rule changes proposed, go online to www.saveourmedia.org.
At least two FCC commissioners are expected to attend the Jan. 16 event, which runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Frank Altshul Auditorium on the school's New York City campus.
TNG-CWA President Linda Foley is coordinating a panel of speakers, including several journalists, who will discuss how the pending changes in media ownership rules will affect journalism and the quality of information the public gets. Jim Joyce, vice president of NABET Local 51016, will also speak. The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, The Writers Guild of America East and the AFL-CIO Department for Professional Employees also have been working with TNG-CWA on this issue.
"Today, six major corporations control most of the once-independent TV stations, radio stations and newspapers in our country," Foley said. "If the ownership rules are further relaxed, we could see one or two conglomerates controlling the networks, cable and the Internet and even dominating local news markets. This dramatically affects decisions about what stories and advertisements are published or broadcast, and that affects people's access to information, a cornerstone of our democracy."
CWA has filed a brief with the FCC opposing the changes, which include lifting what's left of media cross-ownership rules that bar one company from owning a newspaper and TV station in a single community. The union's filing includes statements from several TNG-CWA reporters describing the chilling effect of cross-ownership, such as this one from a TV columnist: "When the Nielsen TV ratings come out, I know I am expected to write a big story if the co-owned station's ratings are good and to bury the story if the co-owned station's ratings are down." In other cases, media unions have been refused ad space or coverage of labor disputes by media companies that largely control their market.
June Besek of Columbia Law School's Kernochan Center for Law, Media and the Arts said a wide range of panelists including studio heads, independent producers, politicians and the FCC board have been invited. "We hope that this forum will present a comprehensive discussion of the changes and how they will affect the entire country," she said.
Another forum on the rule changes is planned for Los Angeles, tentatively set for Feb. 18. A formal hearing called by FCC Chairman Michael Powell, who originally scheduled no public forums, is also planned for February in Richmond, Va. A date hasn't been set.
For updated information on dates and other details, as well as background on the issue, CWA's filing and the specific rule changes proposed, go online to www.saveourmedia.org.