AMENDMENT ONE-The People Fight Back!!

June 25, 2003 AMENDMENT ONE

“The People Fight Back!!”

by Don Schellhardt

When I wrote this column’s article for May (“HIGH NOON: Megacorporations vs. The Dixie Chicks -- And YOU?”), the FCC was poised to vote on whether to loosen or eliminate any or all of the few remaining restrictions on how much of the mass media a single entity can own. Readers were urged to stand and be counted.

By early May, everyday citizens and small activist groups had already filed Written Comments in the thousands. A study by THE FUTURE OF MUSIC COALITION revealed that more than 99% of these Written Comments -- including a majority of the Comments filed by corporations -- were opposed to further ownership deregulation. Still, the fraction of 1% that favored loosened limits were filed by huge megacorporations, such as Clear Channel, Fox and Viacom. The “Notices” in Docket 02-277 show that many of these favorable Comments were supplemented by meetings, with FCC officials, behind closed doors.

However, in the last few weeks before the June 2 vote, the FCC proceedings were “discovered” by groups with major resources: notably, MOVEON, CONSUMERS UNION and THE NATIONAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION. By June 2, the FCC had received an amazing 750,000 E-Mails, letters and Comments against loosened limits.

Unfortunately, all of these filings, in the words of one columnist, turned out to be “like prayers to a stone god”. By a 3-2, party line vote, the FCC voted as follows:

Raised national TV ownership limits from 35% of market to 45% of market
Almost ended cross-ownership limits (e.g., newspapers owned by TV stations)
Kept radio ownership limits, with possible modest rollbacks in small markets

Now the battle has moved to Congress, where The People are still speaking -- and even being heard by some. On June 19, the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, chaired by Senator Paul McCain, R-AZ, approved an expanded version of S. 1046, sponsored by Senators Ted Stevens, R-AK, and Ernest Hollings, D-SC. The bill, which is now ready for a vote by the full Senate, would:

Restore the previous TV ownership limits
Also restore the previous cross-ownership limits (Thanks to an amendment offered in Committee by Senator Byron Dorgan, D-ND)
Clarify that current law allows the FCC to re-regulate as well as deregulate

(Thanks to an amendment by Chairman Paul McCain, R-AZ) … This would codify a January 31 Legal Analysis by THE AMHERST ALLIANCE

Require 5 or more geographically diverse Hearings before an ownership rule

can be changed (Thanks to an amendment by Senator Barbara Boxer, D-CA)

See June’s SPECIAL “AMENDMENT ONE” SUPPLEMENT (below) for information on where YOUR U.S. Senator stands -- and what you can say to him or her.

--------------------------------------Supplement ---------------------------------------

POSITIONS OF U.S. SENATORS REGARDING S. 1046:

THE TED STEVENS (R-AK) AND ERNEST HOLLINGS (D-SC) BILL

TO OVERRIDE THE FCC’S JUNE 2, 2003 DECISION

TO LOOSEN MEDIA OWNERSHIP LIMITS

The Situation As Of June 25, 2003

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR U.S. SENATORS:

(1) Write To Them By Snail Mail [Worst Choice] Or USPS Express Mail --

SENATOR WHOMEVER

United States Senate

Washington , DC 20510

(2) Fax Them [Best Choice], Phone Them Or E-Mail Them --

Find Contact Information By Going To www.senate.gov

And Clicking On “Choose A State”

(3) Meet Them --

Find The Location And Phone Number Of Each Senator’s Local Office

[Listed On Each Senator’s Web Site AND In Your Local White Pages]

And Then Call To Arrange An Appointment

During The Senator’s Next Visit To Your State

SUGGESTIONS FOR WHAT TO SAY TO YOUR U.S. SENATORS:

· If there is a ++ beside his or her name on the Chart:

“Thank you for supporting legislation to restore all of the media

ownership limits loosened by the FCC on June 2. Please

press for speedy favorable action by the full Senate and the House.”

· If there is a + beside his or her name on the Chart:

“Thank you for supporting the original version of S. 1046, which

would have restored the TV ownership limits loosened by the FCC

on June 2. Please support as well the expanded Committee version

of S. 1046, and/or other action to restore all media ownership limits.”

· If there is a ? beside his or her name on the Chart:

“I am not sure of your position on the Committee version of S. 1046,

which would restore all of the media ownership limits loosened by

the FCC on June 2. Please support S. 1046 and/or other action to

restore all media ownership limits.”

· If there is a -- beside his or her name on the Chart:

“From what I can tell, you do not support the Committee version of S. 1046, which would restore all of the media ownership limits loosened by the FCC on June 2. Please reconsider your view and back the bill.”

· If the Senator’s name is in CAPITAL letters, please add this P.S.:

“PS. I am aware that you are coming up for re-election in 2004.”

WHERE DOES YOUR SENATOR STAND

ON RESTORING THE MEDIA OWNERSHIP LIMITS

LOOSENED BY THE FCC ON JUNE 2??

Find YOUR State Below!!

The Situation As Of June 25, 2003

++ This Senator is On The Record in support of restoring all of the media ownership

limits -- including cross-ownership limits -- loosened by the FCC on June 2.

+ This Senator is On The Record in support of restoring the TV ownership limits

loosened by the FCC on June 2, 2003 .

? This Senator’s position on the media ownership limits is unknown or unclear.

-- This Senator is, or appears to be, opposed to restoring the media ownership limits.

Senators with CAPITALIZED names are up for re-election in 2004.

Senators with italicized names are Republicans (Members of the political party

that controls the Senate).

***********************************************************************

ALABAMA

RICHARD SHELBY ?

Jeff Sessions ?

ALASKA

Ted Stevens ++

Lisa Murkowski ?

ARIZONA

JOHN McCAIN +

John Kyl ?

ARKANSAS

BLANCHE LINCOLN ++

Mark Pryor +

CALIFORNIA

BARBARA BOXER ++

Diane Feinstein ?

COLORADO

BEN NIGHTHORSE

CAMPBELL ?

Wayne Allard ++

CONNECTICUT

Christopher Dodd +

Joseph Lieberman ++

DELAWARE

Joseph Biden ?

Thomas Carper +

FLORIDA

BILL NELSON ++

Bob Graham +

GEORGIA

ZELL MILLER ?

Saxby Chambliss ?

HAWAII

DANIEL INOUYE ++

Daniel Akaka +

IDAHO

MICHAEL CRAPO ?

Larry Craig ?

ILLINOIS

PETER FITZGERALD --

Richard Durbin +

INDIANA

EVAN BAYH ?

Richard Lugar ?

IOWA

CHUCK GRASSLEY ?

Tom Harkin ?

KANSAS

SAM BROWNBACK --

Pat Roberts ?

KENTUCKY

JIM BUNNING +

Mitch McConnell ?

LOUISIANA

MARY LANDRIEU ?

John Breaux ?

MAINE

OLYMPIA SNOWE ++

Susan Collins +

MARYLAND

Paul Sarbanes ++

Barbara Mikulski ?

MASSACHUSETTS

JOHN KERRY ++

Edward M. Kennedy +

MICHIGAN

Carl Levin +

Debbie Stabenow ?

MINNESOTA

Mark Dayton ?

Norman Coleman ?

MISSISSIPPI

TRENT LOTT ++

Thad Cochran ?

MISSOURI

CHRISTOPHER BOND ?

James Talent ?

MONTANA

Max Baucus +

Conrad Burns +

NEBRASKA

Chuck Hagel ?

Ben Nelson ?

NEVADA

HARRY REID ++

John Ensign --

NEW HAMPSHIRE

JUDD GREGG ?

John Sununu --

NEW JERSEY

Frank Lautenberg ++

John Corzine ?

NEW MEXICO

JEFF BINGAMAN ++

Peter Domenici ?

NEW YORK

CHARLES SCHUMER ?

Hillary Clinton ?

NORTH CAROLINA

John Edwards +

Elizabeth Dole +

NORTH DAKOTA

BYRON DORGAN ++

Kent Conrad ?

OHIO

GEORGE VOINOVICH ?

Mike DeWine ?

OKLAHOMA

DON NICKLES ?

James Inhofe ?

OREGON

RON WYDEN ++

Gordon Smith --

PENNSYLVANIA

ARLEN SPECTER ?

Rick Santorum ?

RHODE ISLAND

Lincoln Chafee ?

Jack Reed ?

SOUTH CAROLINA

ERNEST HOLLINGS ++

Graham Lindsey ?

SOUTH DAKOTA

TOM DASCHLE ?

Tim Johnson +

TENNESSEE

Bill Frist ?

Lamar Alexander ?

TEXAS

Kay Bailey Hutchinson ++

John Cornyn ?

UTAH

ROBERT BENNETT ?

Orrin Hatch ?

VERMONT

PATRICK LEAHY ++

James Jeffords (Indep.) +

VIRGINIA

John Warner ?

George Allen ?

WASHINGTON STATE

PATTY MURRAY +

Maria Cantwell ++

WEST VIRGINIA

Jay Rockefeller ++

Robert Byrd +

WISCONSIN

RUSSELL FEINGOLD ++

Herbert Kohl ?

WYOMING

Michael Enzi ?

Thomas Craig ?

WHERE DO THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES STAND
ON RESTORING THE MEDIA OWNERSHIP LIMITS
LOOSENED BY THE FCC ON JUNE 2??

The Situation As Of June 25, 2003

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES OF 2004

GOVERNOR HOWARD DEAN , Vermont ++

SENATOR JOHN KERRY, Massachusetts ++

REPRESENTATIVE DENNIS KUCINICH, Ohio ++

SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN, Connecticut ++

SENATOR JOHN EDWARDS, North Carolina +

AMBASSADOR CAROL MOSELY BROWN, Illinois ?

REPRESENTATIVE RICHARD GEPHARDT, Missouri ?

REVEREND AL SHARPTON, New York ?

PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH, Texas --

POSSIBLE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES OF 2008

SENATOR ELIZABETH DOLE, North Carolina +

SENATOR HILLARY CLINTON, New York ?

Materials Prepared By:

DON SCHELLHARDT

For His

“AMENDMENT ONE” Internet Column

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BY DON SCHELLHARDT
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