A recent story in Broadcasting and Cable titled "Investigative Journalism Under Fire" highlighted so many reasons why we at Common Cause are concerned about media consolidation.

A key passage in the article is as follows:

"Peering under proverbial rocks to bring corruption and abuse of power into the searing light of public scrutiny has always been the role of the watchdog press. And while it is true that the head of a state or federal agency may still end up on the hot seat being grilled by a network correspondent, the genre is on life-support compared to what it once was.

Your messages to Congress are having their intended effect! We recently asked our Causenet members to send messages to Congress asking them to make sure the FCC doesn't allow greater consolidation of the media without public input.

When Senator Dorgan heard about the FCC's plans, he said, "There is going to be a firestorm of protest, and I will be carrying the wood."

Those thousands of you who contacted your members of Congress have lit that fire.

Today, Senator Obama released a letter to the FCC in which he urges Chairman Martin to slow down and respect the need for a proper process with public dialog.  

Obama's letter states, "Repealing the cross ownership rules and retaining the rest of our existing regulations is not a proposal that has been put out for public comment; the proper process for vetting it is not in closed door meetings with lobbyists or in selective leaks to the New York Times.  

Although such a proposal may pass the muster of a federal court, Congress and the public have the right to review any specific proposal and decide whether or not it constitutes sound policy.  And the Commission has the responsibility to defend any new proposal in public discourse and debate. "

The entire text of the letter can be read at Senator Obama's Senate website.

We hope to see more such letters from our Senators and Representatives to the FCC demanding that our voices are heard.

Earlier this week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) began its review of the media ownership rules. The last time the FCC voted to allow big media to get even bigger (in 2003), the process happened behind closed doors and without public input.

But we have a different FCC Chairman this time around. Chairman Kevin Martin is at least paying lip service to public participation, saying that, "Public input is integral to this process," and that the Commission will hold "half a dozen public hearings around the country." Six hearings are a step in the right direction, but far from adequate. And the process Martin has begun is far from perfect. Once again, the FCC has failed to state specifically how it intends to change the media ownership rules. What the FCC has proposed, said Commissioner Adelstein, is "thin gruel for those hoping for a meaty discussion of media ownership issues."

If you live in North Carolina and want to make your voice heard in this debate, make sure you attend the Future of Media Town Meeting on Wednesday, June 28 at 6pm. More details are available here. If you go to the meeting, please report back to us on what happened.