Media Ownership Act Moves Forward

Posted December 5th, 2007 by Craig Aaron

Thanks to tens of thousands of calls and letters from activists like you, the bipartisan Media Ownership Act of 2007 (S. 2332) was passed unanimously by the Senate Commerce Committee yesterday.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), would put the brakes on the FCC’s rush more media consolidation. It would direct the FCC to seriously address the issue of localism and create an independent minority and female ownership task force — before moving forward with any changes to media ownership limits. The bill would also give the public a 90-day comment period on any proposed rules.

“Chairman Martin’s policymaking by press release has run into a brick wall of bipartisan opposition in Congress,” said Ben Scott, policy director of Free Press. “The Senate has joined the American public in demanding that the FCC protect the public interest and shelve its plans for handouts to corporate media.”

The next stop for the bill should be the Senate floor. Its bipartisan support is growing, and the list of co-sponsors now includes: Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Larry Craig (R-Idaho), Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Russell Feingold (D-Wis.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), John Kerry (D-Mass.), Bill Nelson (D-Fla.), Barack Obama (D-Ill.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

If you don’t see your senator on this list, send them a message.

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