In Washington today, two members of Congress from Washington State, Reps. Jay Inslee (D-Wash.) and Dave Reichert (R-Wash.) introduced the "Media Ownership Act of 2007" (H.R.4835) - the House companion to a Senate bill (S. 2332) sponsored by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Trent Lott (R-Miss.). This bill would overturn the Federal Communications Commission's vote yesterday to further consolidate the media, as well as set new standards for the FCC to be more responsive to public input on their decisions.

In a 3-to-2, party-line vote, the FCC eliminated the longstanding ban on "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership," which prohibits a local newspaper from owning a broadcast station in the same market. The "Media Ownership Act of 2007" would prevent the FCC's hurried rule from becoming law by requiring more time for public comment and changing the timeframe for proposed revisions to be published. It would also go into effect retroactively, back to October 1, 2007.

Jon Bartholomew, Media Reform Campaign Coordinator for Common Cause, issued the following statement:

"The media is the public's source of information for the democratic process. The last thing the American public needs is for this information to come from fewer sources, which is what the FCC's decision yesterday will lead to. We are very pleased to hear that the House is coming together to do what is right for the American public and block further media consolidation."
"We are particularly pleased that this legislation would require the FCC to be more responsive to public input by requiring more time for public comment on any proposed new rules. The process the FCC uses for their decision-making needs to be reformed, and this legislation takes the first step towards that goal."

For more information on the bill: http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/wa08_reichert/inslee.shtml