FCC Commissioners Attend Town Hall Meeting in Dearborn

Press Release September 15, 2004 For Immediate Release Contact: Russ Newman 413-585-1533 ext. 12 FCC Commissioners attend Town Hall Meeting in Dearborn Public decries deterioration of journalism, media consolidation

Washington – Over 300 citizens joined Federal Communications Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps at last night’s Town Meeting on the Future of Media at the Ford Center of the Performing Arts in Dearborn. The hearing, organized by media reform organization Free Press, was the third of its kind, offering residents the rare opportunity to express concerns about their media directly to the FCC.

The Free Press Town Meetings on the Future of Media were called to supplement six official FCC Localism Hearings initiated by FCC Chairman Michael Powell after millions of Americans expressed outrage at last year’s loosening of media ownership rules.

While the event was slated to end at 9:30pm, audience testimony for the Commissioners lasted late into the night, finishing after 11pm. The event also featured a panel of local officials, community leaders, and members of media organizations, including those representing the Arab-American community. The greater Detroit area is home to one of the largest Arab-American communities in the United States.

The vast majority of those who spoke expressed concern about further media consolidation and the deterioration of quality journalism, with countless testifiers linking the state of their media to increased consolidation and corporate greed. Testifiers also expressed frustration that while African Americans make up the majority of the population of the Detroit metropolitan area, the ownership of their media did not reflect this. Only 4.5% of radio stations and 1.5% of television stations are minority-owned.

Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps were vocal in their criticism of the broadcast industry for failing to serve the public interest, as well as the prospect of further media consolidation. Copps and Adelstein were the only FCC commissioners who opposed the loosening of media ownership rules last year and were the only two who accepted the invitation to participate in last night’s event.

“Every time people learn of the chance to talk directly to the FCC about their media, hundreds come out,” said Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver. “In every part of the country we’re hearing the same thing: People are mad as hell about the pitiful state of journalism, the lack of localism and increased commercialism. They understand that these issues are directly linked to increased media consolidation. And they demand that their voice be heard — so that media serves the public interest, rather than just the bottom line.”

Earlier Town Meetings sponsored by Free Press were held in Portland, OR and Albuquerque, NM in June of this year. Official FCC hearings have occurred in North Carolina, Texas, South Dakota, and California; the final two official hearings in Portland, ME and Washington, DC have not yet been scheduled.

#### Free Press is a national non-partisan organization that seeks to increase informed public participation in media policy and to promote a more competitive, public interest-oriented media system. It was founded by University of Illinois professor, media scholar and author Robert McChesney. For additional background information about the FCC's hearings and broadcast licenses, see www.freepress.net/townmeetings and www.freepress.net/future.