REMARKS OF

**COMMISSIONER MICHAEL J. COPPS**

**PUBLIC INTEREST, PUBLIC AIRWAVES COALITION**

**WASHINGTON, DC**

# JULY 19, 2004

Thank you, Gloria, for your kind introduction and, even more, for
continuing to serve the public interest as you did with such dedication
at the FCC.

We're all gathered here today because we share deep concern about what
has happened to our media. Concerned about the too-powerful role of a
few huge media conglomerates that increasingly control both the content
and the distribution of the entertainment, information and news that we
get. Concerned that this narrowing control is homogenizing our
entertainment and dramatically diminishing our democratic dialogue.
Concerned that Big Media is not fulfilling its role---or pulling its
weight---in our society.

In this election year when so many important issues confront us, we see
dramatically less news coverage. From 1996 to 2000, coverage of even the
Presidential race on the network evening news dropped by one-third. The
average Presidential candidate sound bite in 2000 was 8-9 seconds. In
the 2002 election, over half of the evening local newscasts contained no
campaign coverage at all. Coverage of Congressional, state and local
races is even worse. I read the other day that many Americans likely saw
more prime-time entertainment on a single night than they saw election
coverage during an entire campaign!

We need America's broadcasters to step up to the plate and correct this
deplorable mess. Commissioner Adelstein has made some really good
suggestions on these issues. The Public Interest, Public Airwaves
coalition has put forth more good ideas. I was proud to be present at
their unveiling. Some broadcasters are committing to air more
candidate-centered speech and public service announcements this
year---but not enough of them. Wouldn't it be nice to see every
broadcaster in this country step up to the plate and designate the rest
of this election year as the "Campaign for America" and devote some
truly meaningful time to it. And I don't mean just a few minutes here
and there, but time commensurate with the tough challenges that confront
every citizen in 2004. The issues are war and jobs and health care and
deficits and consumer well-being... yet those charged with using the
public airwaves for the public good can't get serious about covering
what's at stake?

If the majority of Americans are not getting what they should out of
today's media, minority groups are faring even worse. Their interests,
needs and issues rarely make it to prime-time. They've lost jobs in the
industry, they own almost none of it. The great strength of this country
***is*** our diversity. Diversity is not a problem to be overcome. It is
an opportunity to be developed. And our media have an obligation to
reflect this diversity and to nourish it.

That's not all. We see fewer broadcast hours of programming for families
and children. We see local talent and local creativity driven to the
sidelines. We see vanishing opportunities for creative artists. Local
musicians can't get airplay on local stations. Independent programming
is being run out of prime-time. These trends undermine the quality of
entertainment that springs forth from America's creative genius---and
they cause serious job losses for thousands of workers, from creative
artists to technicians. What we are getting from Big Media is a smaller
America.

In spite of the tidal wave of consolidation that drowned radio after
1996, the FCC charged ahead last June to make things even worse with its
decision to unleash the same kind of Clear Channelization on the rest of
our media.

Fortunately, that ill-advised and sorry decision galvanized millions of
Americans across this country. Concerned parents, creative artists,
religious leaders, civil rights activists, labor organizations, young
people, old people, even independent broadcasters and many, many others
stood up in never-before-seen numbers to reclaim their airwaves.

Their representatives in Congress answered this call. The U.S. Senate
has voted to overturn the FCC decision in its entirety and over 200
Members of the House of Representatives have asked the House Leadership
for permission to vote on the same resolution of disapproval. So far,
they have been denied that vote---a denial of democracy that should
worry us all.

And just last month, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the
FCC's media concentration plan was legally and procedurally flawed. So
we have now heard from the court, the Congress and the American people
that that FCC got it wrong when it tried to unleash even more
consolidation. It is clear that we need to start over on these rules and
this time make it our goal to protect the people's interest in the
people's airwaves.

Now is not the time for more delay through an appeal of the court's
decision. The Commission has a second chance to do the right thing. And,
for Heaven's sake, this time let's include the American people in the
process instead of shutting them out. I have asked Chairman Powell to
set up a series of ownership hearings around the country starting right
away. We don't have time to waste on this. But it's been almost a month
since I asked and, so far, no response.

Now ***is*** the time for a rededication of our efforts. The good news
is that, for now, we have checked the majority's mad rush to
consolidation. But remember the rules have been returned to the very
Commission that devised them in the first place. We could still end up
with rules every bit as bad as the ones that have been returned to us.
So we have a lot of work to do. But think about what you have already
accomplished. Thanks to your efforts, the debate about the future of our
media will never be the same. Thanks to your efforts, we have the best
chance in our generation to settle this issue of who will control our
media and for what purposes---and to resolve it in favor of airwaves of,
by and for the people of this great country. Let's vow today to make it
happen.