CHICAGO MEDIA ACTION ALERT, December 17, 2003
http://www.chicagomediaaction.org

A reminder: Tomorrow, December 18, Chicago Media Action will be holding a protest in downtown Chicago.  The press release of the protest is
listed below.  We invite you to join us.  Plus, see below for details of an upcoming radio spot.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, December 17, 2003
Contact:  Mitchell Szczepanczyk, President, Chicago Media Action 
mitchell@chicagomediaaction.org
James Owens, CMA Board Member, james@chicagomediaaction.org
Daytime phone: 1-773-753-0818, During the protest: 1-773-474-3837
        
MEDIA DEMOCRACY ACTIVISTS PROTEST FCC CHAIR MICHAEL
POWELL'S PRO-CORPORATE ANTI-PUBLIC PLANS FOR MASS MEDIA

Thursday, December 18, 6:45pm - 8pm, outside the Sheraton Hotel, 301 E. North Water St., Chicago.

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) chair Michael Powell's Chicago visit will be met with protest from local media Democracy activists
from the organization Chicago Media Action. The protest will take place at 301 E. North Water St., just outside the lavish Sheraton Hotel. In
an event that is closed to the public, Powell will address the business oriented Economic Club of Chicago. Protestors will outside voice
their opposition to FCC policies championed by Powell that will increase consolidation of media ownership, increase commercialism of the
media and reduce diversity of local and community voices in the media.

"Today Michael Powell again demonstrates his model for policy development: he consults with corporate and business interests while the public
is left out on the street," said CMA President Mitchell Szczepanczyk. 

CMA also condemns the corporate-connected corruption rampant within Powell's FCC, where commissioners have received over $2.8 million in
travel perks from the leaders of the industry they were designed to regulate. Further, Powell himself is on the board of Telecommunications
Development Fund--a venture capital fund also in the same industry he is supposed to regulate.  

"Clearly the industry has captured the commission that is supposed to regulate them," said CMA member James Owens.  "77% percent of the
public disagree with FCC policies that let big media get bigger, but Powell^Òs FCC enacted these policies anyway. Powell is a public servant
who does not value public interest."
        
In keeping with the season, protestors will also sing adapted holiday carols such as "God Bless Ye Bold Commissioners," and "Dreaming of a
Media Wonderland."      

Chicago Media Action is an activist group dedicated to analyzing and broadening Chicago's mainstream media and to building Chicago's
independent media.  CMA, founded in November 2002, has been active in the FCC deregulation fight of 2003--protesting against Michael Powell
in June 2003, and helping organize the Midwest Forum on Media Ownership.   Website: www.chicagomediaaction.org

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Technical difficulties prevented Chicago Media Action from being included in a November episode of the Chicago-area radio program "Live From
The Heartland". 
We're trying again this Saturday.  North-side Chicagoans can listen on 88.7 FM WLUW, this Saturday, December 20, starting at 9AM.  Or you can
listen at http://www.wluw.org via the internet.

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This is an email from Chicago Media Action, a Chicago activist
group devoted to media issues.

Chicago Media Action, P.O. Box 14140, Chicago IL 60614-0140  
Call toll-free: 1-866-260-7198  
Web: www.chicagomediaaction.org
email: cma@chicagomediaaction.org

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