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 NEWS  Federal  Communications  Commission  445  12  th  Street,  S.  W.  Washington,  D.  C.  20554  This  is  an  unofficial  announcement  of  Commission  action.  Release  of  the  full  text  of  a  Commission  order  constitutes  official  action.  See  MCI  v.  FCC.  515  F  2d  385  (D.  C.  Circ  1974).  News  Media  Information  202  /  418-  0500  Internet:  http://  www.  fcc.  gov  TTY:  1-  888-  835-  5322 
 FOR  IMMEDIATE  RELEASE  Contacts:  February  5,  2003  David  Fiske  (202)  418-  0513 
 Michelle  Russo  (202)  418-  2358 
 STATEMENT  OF  FCC  CHAIRMAN  MICHAEL  POWELL  ON  BROADCAST  OWNERSHIP  PROCEEDING 


 I  am  enormously  pleased  so  many  citizens  have  chosen  to  participate  in  the  broadcast  ownership  proceeding.  The  number  of  comments  is  staggering  -  13,000  from  the  general  public 
 alone.  It  is  gratifying  to  witness  first  hand  the  unparalleled  opportunities  technology  now  provides  the  American  public  to  participate  in  the  democratic  process.  This  record  clearly 
 demonstrates  that  in  the  digital  age,  you  don't  need  a  19th  century  whistle  stop  tour  to  hear  from  America.  In  addition  to  poring  through  this  exhaustive  record,  I  will  attend  the  FCC's  hearing  in 
 Richmond,  Virginia  on  February  27.  I  commend  others  for  their  interest  in  attending  additional  forums. 


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