FCC: The Battle In Seattle (Part 1)
Seattle’s ready for the FCC, but is the FCC ready for Seattle? The Federal Communications Commission has scheduled its final public hearing on media ownership in one of the strongholds of the media democracy movement. The hearing will clear the way for the FCC to make dramatic increases in the amount of broadcast and print media one company can own. The hearing has been called on five business days’ notice, prompting a sharp critique from the Commission’s Democratic minority, who wrote: "Clearly, the rush is on to push media consolidation to a quick and ill-considered vote. It shows there is a preordained outcome." Larry Bensky hosts live coverage of the protests in the streets and the hearing chamber, with expert guests and listener call-ins.