The FCC is holding six official hearings across the nation on "localism" in broadcasting, giving Americans the chance to report how well TV and radio are serving their communities.

The next hearing is slated for Portland, ME. Date still to be announced by the FCC.

Learn what's at stake.

These hearings are an extremely rare opportunity to tell the FCC about the state of your local media, how well your needs are being served, and how you feel about the increasing consolidation of media ownership. The FCC hears from broadcasters' lobbyists and lawyers every day. This is your chance to make sure they hear from you!

On the web you'll find information on media ownership, and the battle over the FCC's ownership rules, and a beginner's guide to media reform.

Last summer, the FCC voted for changes to media ownership rules that would allow Big Media conglomerates to grow even bigger, allowing a small handful of corporations to gain even more control over our access to information. This set off a firestorm of protest, with over 2 million people contacting Congress and the FCC to stop these rule changes. Now, a federal court has overturned the FCC's rules and ordered the FCC to rewrite them. The battle rages on.

These hearings are a crucial opportunity to let the FCC know that local, independent, diverse media can't thrive under consolidated ownership--and that the FCC must listen to the public before they rewrite the rules again.

Info From Completed Hearings

For a recap of past hearings, including links to webcasts, transcripts, and press coverage, check out the following pages.

Monterey Hearing , July 21 2004.

Rapid City Hearing , May 26 2004.

San Antonio Hearing, January 28, 2004.

Charlotte Hearing, October 22, 2003.

Updates

Stay tuned for information about upcoming FCC Localism Hearings. We'll post details as we learn about them. You can also check the web site of the FCC?s Localism Task Force: http://www.fcc.gov/localism.