PUTTING THE PUBLIC BACK IN PUBLIC INTEREST

by Nan Herring

"DEAR FRIENDS OF RADIO"

WASHINGTON, DC - December 17 -- As the Federal Communications Commission comes under increased scrutiny regarding the processes it uses to make the rules that govern the broadcasting industry, Common Cause, the Media Access Project and Econometric Research and Analysis offer a set of simple and affordable recommendations for the agency to better involve the public in the critical dialog over our media and digital future.

The groups' recommendations come as the FCC faces increased scrutiny after a Government Accountability Office (GAO) study showed the FCC leaks information to telecommunication industry lobbyists, complaints from Congress that the FCC does not give enough time for public comment on proposed rules, and public interest advocates are outraged over routinely being given short notice about public hearings.

"A healthy democracy requires a healthy media, and the FCC's role is to ensure we have a healthy media that serves the public," said Bob Edgar, president of Common Cause. "It's important to regularly examine the processes that the FCC uses to make its decisions."

"The public must have confidence that the FCC genuinely serves the needs of the all the people of the United States, not just those rich enough to field a team to play the inside the Beltway game," said Harold Feld, senior vive president of the Media Access Project. READ MORE HERE.

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