Dear friends across the United States,

The Federal Communications Commission wants to lift a 35-year-old ban that would allow media moguls like Rupert Murdoch to gobble-up local, independent media from New York to Sacramento. We can beat this if we can inundate the FCC with thousands of public comments. Say no to media monopoly by sending your official comment to the FCC now:

In 4 days, the Federal Communications Commission could begin to lift a 35-year-old ban preventing corporate thugs like Rupert Murdoch from creating media monopolies. But if we can flood their public consultation now we could throw our drowning independent media the life buoy it needs.

The ban stops any company from owning a major daily newspaper and a television station in the same market. If lifted, the new rule would pave the way for media moguls to gobble-up local, independent media from New York to Sacramento. This plan was put together secretly but we can stop it -- the courts want the FCC to address public concerns via a comment period ending March 5th.

Let's inundate the FCC with thousands of public comments to say nobody should be allowed to monopolize our print and broadcast media. Sign now to stop this sneak-attack on free media:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_media_barons//?vl

We take pride in America’s diversity, yet 6 giant corporations control more than half of what we watch and read everyday -- down from 50 companies four decades ago. The perils of media consolidation are already on clear display. Local newsrooms are closing, investigative journalism is collapsing and diverse viewpoints are shrinking from our airwaves.

Lifting the ban on TV-newspaper dual ownership would give media empires like GE and News Corp the final greenlight to toast their competition from coast to coast. This is not the first time they’ve tried - the FCC tried to pass nearly identical rules in 2007, which was thwarted only after massive public outcry got the courts to rule against it. But this time they’re in it to win it, and free media advocates tell us that public opposition is the only way to break the deal.

The FCC was created to protect the public voice, not drown it. We have just 4 days to be heard. Let’s shower the FCC with thousands of public comments -- they’re required by law to respond to every single one of them -- and shine the people power needed to kill this poisonous rule:

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_the_media_barons//?vl

Any thriving democracy gives its citizens the fundamental right to choose between truly diverse sources of media. Last year, Avaazers in the UK helped stop Murdoch's consolidation through a huge public outcry. Let’s unite here in this key election year and protect our democracy from Murdoch and other media barons once and for all.

With hope and determination,

Jamie, Brant, Emma, Ricken, Paul, Michael and the rest of the Avaaz team

SOURCES

Editorial: The FCC recycles a bad idea to allow media consolidation (Seattle Times) :

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorials/2017083232_edit27mergers.html

FCC Seeks to ease media ownership rule (New York Times):

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/23/business/media/fcc-seeks-to-ease-media-ownership-rule.html?_r=2

FCC proposes relaxing newspaper-TV ownership rules (Los Angeles Times) :

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/12/fcc-newspaper-tv-ownership.html

FCC plan points to consolidation (Newsmax):

http://www.newsmax.com/Markets/FCC-Ownership-Rules-consolidation/2011/12/23/id/422023

avaaz@avaaz.org