Access Humboldt supports media diversity

Access Humboldt supports media diversity
Joins in FCC comments on broadcast ownership review

December 1, 2011 Eureka, CA - Access Humboldt joined in comments filed by more than fifty public interest groups today with the Federal Communications Commission regarding the FCC's broadcast ownership review.

Statement of Sean McLaughlin, Executive Director of Access Humboldt:
"Access Humboldt supports the national public policy goal of media diversity. We join with colleagues across the nation in citing the facts of historic failure to achieve diversity of media ownership, and asking for the FCC to address the harms caused by ongoing consolidation. For a healthy democracy, we need an open marketplace of ideas that supports freedom of information and expression, including local voices and the unique perspectives of all kinds of people."

In their letter to FCC chair Genachowski, Access Humboldt and the public interest groups request that the FCC:

1. Evaluate the impact of its media ownership rules on ownership opportunities for women
and people of color.
2. Take proactive measures to promote ownership of broadcast stations by underrepresented
groups.
3. Guard against further erosion of media ownership among these groups by maintaining
existing media ownership limits.

The full letter is attached below.

McLaughlin, who is also a Knight Media Policy Fellow with New America Foundation added: "Concentrated absentee ownership of broadband media networks is harmful to the public interest. The best way to ensure information diversity is to support development of community based networks and local media access for public, education and government purposes."

For more information, contact: Sean McLaughlin, e: sean@accesshumboldt.net