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Free Press Critical of FCC's Broadband Field Hearings

Media Activist Group Says Events Poorly Publicized, Scheduled During Workday

John Eggerton -- Multichannel News, 10/8/2009 1:04:00 PM

Media activist group Free Press says that the open and transparent FCC that chairman Julius Genachowski has promoted has been less than either when it comes to its broadband field hearings.

"The FCC has made a rhetorical commitment to involving the public in shaping the national broadband plan. But the public can't participate if they don't know these events are happening," said Free Press Executive Director Josh Silver in an e-mailed statement. "And they won't show up if they're not given an opportunity to speak directly to policymakers. If the FCC is taking the trouble to schedule a trip across the country and line up no less than 13 panelists, they should be able to tell the public it's happening a few weeks -- not a few days -- ahead of time."

Silver was responding to an FCC broadband hearing in San Diego Thursday co-hosted by Genachowksi and Commissioner Meredith Attwell Baker.

But more broadly, it cited the four FCC broadband hearings to date, saying that locations and schedules have only been made available a few days beforehand, and all during the workday, when it is tougher for some working folks to attend.

The group is also critical of the lack of opportunity for public comment, pointing out that audience members have only been able to submit questions via note cards.

Free Press raised similar complaints about media ownership field hearings under former FCC chairman Kevin Martin.

"The FCC's new leadership has pledged to change business as usual and to pursue openness and transparency," said Silver. "But actions speak louder than words. We've criticized the FCC in the past for failing to involve the public in crucial decisions and for scheduling last-minute hearings to create the appearance of public participation. The commission's new leadership should expect to be held to the same or an even higher standard."

An FCC spokesperson was reviewing the Free Press release at press time.

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• Anger with a capitol A.. FCC I feel is abusing their power.. I akin their approach to letting the horses out of the barn as what seems to be a cool idea with no means to get it back in if their wrong.
  Lets add this up...
  1. Years back, I always felt that voip should have held the same constraints as regular phone service but the FCC gave so much leeway, I feel it caused the destruction of a once, strongly reliable phone system including an abundance of phone booths (how many of them do you see anymore).
  2. The DTV promise was that it would still be reliable but many are complaining their reception has been comprimised -- hey, FCC, their the public too.
  3. Approval of white space use for wireless communication devices.. oh yeah real fair.. It isn't enough, DTV is inherently weaker than its analog signal predecessor, now we have to add in noise between channels.
  4. FCC: essentially saying we must find more bandwidth, the consideration of possibly shutting down the weakest broadcast station and offering some kind of cheaper cable alternative to these people. You already have a working system in place, leave the frequencies alone.. one more thing, public popularity does not run the airwaves, if this were true, they could just take away cellular frequencies cause their tired of paying those pricey bills and use them as they like.
  
  In whole, I feel the FCC is overstepping their authority cause they are singlehandedly trying to reinvent the wheel at everyone elses cost. Who is asking for all this wireless internet speed at the price of comprimising the quality and future of TV broadcasting. FCC, there is a difference between regulating and altering to their desire, future communications. Also, what about issues of health, what about risk of Brain Tumors.. ok it hasn't been proven but what if tomarrow I read 1000 people got a tumor near a transmitter, will the FCC turn it all off, i doubt it.. my point, FCC just regulate, my feelings about this anyway.

  
  dave - 10/9/2009 12:01:18 AM EDT
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