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Tell Congress to Stand Up to the FCC
Speak Up on Media Diversity!
| Take Action Now: Write your representative and urge her/his support of a resolution of disapproval (H.J.Res.79) to stop the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to ease restrictions on media ownership and consolidation. |
When minorities, women, seniors, and people with disabilities are not fairly represented at news operations at all levels – particularly as owners – Americans see, hear, and read fewer diverse viewpoints. How the public views issues – and whether or not the public is even aware of certain civil rights issues like fair housing and voter discrimination – is directly related to how these issues are covered by the media.
The FCC recently decided to eliminate a longstanding limit on how many media outlets any one company can own. This allowance of media ownership consolidation decreases the local, minority and female ownership of media outlets.
However, with overwhelming support, the Senate recently approved a resolution that would overturn the FCC rule. A bipartisan resolution of disapproval, H.J.Res.79, has now been introduced in the House of Representatives. Your representative needs to hear from you! Write her/him and urge support for the resolution of disapproval and media diversity.
| Sample Letter for Campaign |
Subject: Support the Resolution of Disapproval Against the FCC (H.J. Res. 79)
Dear [ Decision Maker ] ,
I urge you to support the bi-partisan Resolution of Disapproval, (H.J.Res. 79), introduced by Reps. Jay Inslee, D. Wash. and Dave Reichert, R. Wash., that would overturn the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) decision to eliminate a longstanding limit on how many media outlets any one company could own.
The passage of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 relaxed rules prohibiting media companies from owning multiple types of media in one market. Since then, large media conglomerates have bought out many small media companies once owned by minorities. So at a time when minority populations are growing, minority ownership in TV and radio has dropped substantially.
Latino Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans, and Native Americans - who together make up one-third of the U.S. population - own only 7 percent of our nation's full-power radio and TV stations. And women (51 percent of the U.S. population) own less than 6 percent of full-power commercial radio and TV stations. The FCC's new rule would further loosen cross-ownership rules and further threaten media diversity.
The House of Representatives should follow the Senate's lead and vote to overturn the FCC's misguided rule.
Sincerely,
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Campaign Launched:
June 05, 2008
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