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The United States' original communications policy is the 1st Amendment. Freedom of the press was guaranteed in the Constitution because an exchange of information and an unfettered debate were considered essential components of a democratic society.

Today, however, government policy is designed less to facilitate a democratic discussion than to protect the investments of media corporations. Regulations tend to promote the formation of huge media conglomerates and discourage new, competing voices.

Next: The PR Industry

Extra! articles:

• Abandoned Children: Networks passing the buck on educational responsibilities, by Janine Jackson (7-8/02)

• Recasting the Web: Information commons to cash cow, by Karen Charman (7-8/02)

• Their Man in Washington: Big media have an ally in new FCC chair Michael Powell, by Janine Jackson (9-10/01)

• The Great Spectrum Giveaway (10/95)
• Felons on the Air: Is GE's Owning NBC Illegal?, by Sam Husseini (11-12/94)
• The "Hush Rush" Hoax, by Jeff Cohen (11-12/94)
• Radio Days: A Struggle from the Past with a Message for Today, by Laurien Alexandre (7-8/94)

Action Alerts:

• Roll Back the FCC's Rule Changes (6/18/03)

• Some Networks Pick up on FCC Story (5/30/03)

• Will the FCC Help Big Media Get Even Bigger?" (5/20/03)

• Broadcast Networks File FCC Comments-- But Not Stories (1/29/03)

• FCC Ready to Roll Back Limits on Media Consolidation (12/5/02)

• Media Giants Cast Aside Regulatory "Chains": FCC should resist attempt to gut ownership restrictions (3/1/02)

• FCC Moves to Eliminate Cable Ownership Cap; Move Would Also Impact Internet (12/21/01)

• FCC Moves to Lift Cross-Ownership Ban (10/26/01)

• FCC Moves to Intensify Media Consolidation (4/20/01)

• San Francisco Chronicle Gives Short Shrift to NAB Protests (10/2/00)

• Open letter to Clear Channel (10/2/00)

• Low Power Radio in Jeopardy in Senate (9/28/00)

• Over 1,000 March Against NAB: Corporate Media Ignore Demonstrations Against Corporate Media (9/26/00)

• NAB 2000: Speak Out for Media Democracy (8/30/00)

• FCC Weakens Rules, to Delight of Broadcasters (8/8/99)

CounterSpin broadcasts:

• Jonathan Rintels on digital broadcasting (8/20/04)

• Jenny Toomey on the State of Radio (6/18/02)

• Heather Green on Digital Copyright (5/3/02)

• Steve Behrens on Public TV Infomercials (03/15/02)

• Bob McChesney on FCC & the Courts (3/1/02)

• Dave Marsh on FCC & Decency (6/15/01)
• Bob McChesney on Michael Powell (2/2/01)
• Peter Eisner on Big Media's Legislative Agenda (9/15/00)
• Siva Vaidhyanathan on Copyright 6/2/00)
• Affirmative Action in Broadcasting, (7/24/98)

Other Articles:

• FCC Factsheet: FAIR's quick guide to understanding the FCC's failure to support democratic, diverse media.

• Fight the NAB: FAIR's guide to understanding the broadcast industry's #1 lobbying group.

• Info Bandits: Media conglomerates hijacked tele-communications policy with millions in PAC contributions, by Jim Naureckas (In These Times, 3/4/96)

Media Beat columns:

• A Tale of Two Broadcasters (December 7, 1994)

Links:

• Electronic Frontier Foundation.
• Media Access Project. A public interest law firm focused on telecommunications issues.
• A Guide to FCC Rules on Media Ownership from the Center for Digital Democracy.

• Future of Music Coalition. A coalition of artists, legal scholars and policy makers that "seeks to educate the media, policymakers, and the public about music / technology issues."

• Detailed information on Telecommunications Regulation from the Consumer Project on Technology
• The New Rules Project's listing of regulations governing the information economy.

• Channeling Influence: The Broadcast Lobby and the $70 Billion Free Ride. A report on the digital spectrum giveaway from Common Cause.