Common Cause

Common Cause released a report that brings together New York State lobbying and campaign finance data for the first time to demonstrate how the cable television industry has used its financial resources to fight for industry self-interest at the expense of New York cable subscribers.

This is a big election year. There will be records broken all over the United States for voter turnout, individual campaign contributions and campaign volunteer hours. The public has gotten involved at levels never seen before.

This new report lays out a plan of action for the next President and Congress to take to ensure the media performs its appropriate role in our democracy. Recommendations focus on protecting the democratic nature of the Internet, supporting community media, increasing diversity of media ownership and improving the digital TV transition process.

More than 20 public interest, civil rights and media reform groups on Tuesday delivered a letter to members of the Senate Commerce Committee urging the Committee to make the availability of spectrum for unlicensed use a major priority of any digital television (DTV) transition legislation.