MAP and Prometheus: Martin Newspaper Proposal Will Hurt Minority Ownership
On behalf of Prometheus Radio Project, Media Access Project filed comments with the FCC regarding Chairman Martin’s plan to repeal the newspaper cross-ownership ban in the 20 largest markets. As the comments provide:
Nearly half of the TV stations owned by people of color are in the top 20 markets, and not one of them is in the top four of their markets. Thus, almost every one of those stations will be in the cross-hairs as potential acquisition targets. The dearth of minority ownership will be even worse if the FCC ultimately votes to go further than the Chairman’s current plan.
Dec 11 under Legal Filings » 2006 Broadcast Ownership Review | Read more »
MAP President Testifies Before House on Media Ownership
Andrew Jay Schwartzman, President and CEO testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet regarding Chairman Martin’s proposal to repeal the newspaper cross-ownership ban. Allowing for the cross-ownership of a local newspaper and broadcast station would reduce the diversity of voices in a local market and result in a market wide diminution of the total amount of local news available to the public. Cross-ownership crowds out competition, resulting in the public receiving less, and lower quality, service.
Dec 5 under Legal Filings » Media Ownership | Read more »
Churches, Civil Rights Organizations, Demand FCC Recognize Cable Power
Media Access Project filed a letter on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, the Office of Communication of the United Church of Christ, and the National Hispanic Media Coalition demanding that the FCC recognize that the Congressional “70/70” measurement of cable market power has been met. The excessive power of cable operators over programming has squeezed out independent minority and religious programming. Instead of allowing cable to confuse the issue by pretending this is about a la carte, the FCC must remain focused on recognizing cable market power and creating new opportunities for independent minority and religious programming.
Nov 20 under Legal Filings » Cable Ownership | Read more »
MAP Refutes Industry Claims Regarding 70/70 Threshold
In a letter to Commissioners Deborah Taylor Tate and Robert M. McDowell, MAP responded to claims by the NCTA of the arbitrariness of data indicating that cable penetration has reached the 70/70 threshold. NCTA and the cable industry have consistently withheld subscriber data, leading industry publishers such as Warren, Kagan, and Nielsen to underreport the number of cable systems and cable subscribers. Cable penetration passed the 70/70 threshold as early as 2005, and a new analysis completed by MAP, places cable penetration as high as 77%.
Nov 16 under Legal Filings » Cable Ownership | Read more »
MAP, Free Press and Public Knowledge Press FCC to Stop Comcast's Internet Blocking
Responding to Comcast’s blocking of Internet traffic, members of the SavetheInternet.com Coalition and Internet scholars at the nation’s top law schools today filed a petition and complaint with the Federal Communications Commission. MAP Senior Vice President, Harold Feld had the following comment:
“Last year, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin and opponents of Net Neutrality told Congress that the FCC has all the authority it needs to prevent exactly this sort of customer abuse by a major provider. Now we come to the acid test. Will the FCC, which vowed to protect our freedom to run the applications of our choice, stand up for citizens in the face of Comcast?”
Nov 1 under Legal Filings » Broadband/Open Access | Read more »
MAP Presses FCC on Minority and Independent Programmer Access to Cable
Media Access Project filed reply comments in the FCC’s leased access proceeding, highlighting the abusive practices carried out by cable operators to discourage use of leased access programming. Congress established the cable leased access program to promote diversity of programming and encourage vigorous competition in the video programming market. Although cable operators claim the leased access program is working, a MAP economic analysis by Dr. Gregory Rose demonstrates that operators are charging access rates well above what Congress intended, inhibiting minority and independent programmers from utilizing the program. MAP called upon the Commission to make substantial changes to the existing rules and provide independent programmers with affordable access to cable viewers.
Oct 15 under Legal Filings » Cable Ownership | Read more »
MAP and PISC Urge FCC to Protect Competition in 700MHz Auction
Together with the Ad Hoc Public Interest Spectrum Coalition, Media Access Project filed a Petition for Reconsideration urging the FCC to maximize the potential for regional and national competition in the upcoming auction by preventing a bidder from owning licenses in both the C and D block of the spectrum. The filing also asks the Commission to clarify language in the auction rules, so that a conspiracy to block bidders from winning a license constitutes a violation of the anti-collusion rules.
Sep 23 under Legal Filings » Spectrum Reform | Read more »
MAP Pushes to Improve Cable Access for Independent Programmers
On behalf of a diverse coalition of artist, media reform, religious, and public interest groups, including the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture, Media Access Project filed comments urging the Commission to reform its cable leased access program and provide independent programmers a legitimate opportunity to reach cable viewers. Through stonewalling, price gouging and other means, cable operators have discouraged use of the cable leased access program, stifling what was supposed to be a meaningful outlet for diverse, local, ethnic, and regional programming. The program changes MAP is proposing include:
- Adopting rules that make the leased access process more transparent, affordable, and easy to use, including modification of rates to reflect real costs rather than hypothetical costs, elimination of extraneous fees, and the creation of price sheets available in public files and on request.
- Allowing programmers to select the tier of their choice and to be secure in their channel placement and have access to new technologies such as video guides and DVR’s.
- Reforming the Commission’s access complaint and carriage complaint process including making arbitration available, permitting discovery, imposing a time limit for making decisions, and imposing significant forfeitures on cable operators who repeatedly fail to comply with leased access regulations.
Sep 10 under Legal Filings » Cable Ownership | Read more »
MAP Supports FCC Application Limit in NCE FM Filing Window
On behalf of a diverse coalition of groups, including Prometheus Radio Project, Free Press, and the National Hispanic Media Coalition, Media Access Project filed comments with the FCC supporting a 10 application limit on the upcoming NCE FM filing window. A limit would help to prevent overburdening the Commissions resources and discourage speculation that would inhibit minority and local applicants from securing NCE licenses.
Sep 5 under Legal Filings » Low Power FM | Read more »
MAP and PISC Call For Changes to National Broadband Application
MAP and the Public Interest Spectrum Coalition (PISC) filed ex parte comments raising concerns about M2Z’s application to provide free wireless service on a national basis. Though MAP and PISC believe M2Z’s application could provide significant benefits to the American people, the proposed license conditions do not adequately ensure that M2Z would operate under open device rules or network neutrality rules of sufficient stringency to confer the full benefits of innovation and free expression to the public.
Aug 27 under Legal Filings » Spectrum Reform | Read more »