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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  NEWS  MEDIA  CONTACTS: 
 May  15,  2003  Jordan  Goldstein:  (202)  418-  2000 
 FCC  COMMISSIONER  MICHAEL  J.  COPPS  REACTS  TO  REFUSAL  TO  ALLOW  PUBLIC  AIRING  OF  PENDING  MEDIA  CONCENTRATION  RULES 


 Washington  –  Commissioner  Copps  reacted  today  to  a  press  release  that  FCC  Chairman  Michael  Powell  has  refused  a  request  from  Commissioners  Copps  and  Adelstein  for  a  public 
 airing  of  proposed  media  concentration  rules  and  a  brief  postponement  to  allow  public  reaction. 
 Copps  said  “This  is  really  disappointing.  The  Chairman’s  decision  not  to  make  these  proposals  public,  nor  even  to  grant  a  short  delay  in  voting,  runs  roughshod  over  the  requests  of 
 the  American  people  and  the  precedents  of  this  Commission.  This  rush  to  judgment  means  that  we  will  not  fully  understand  the  impact  of  the  specific  proposals  on  our  media  landscape  before 
 we  are  forced  to  vote.  We  are  rushing  to  passage  of  new  rules  without  letting  the  American  people  know  who  is  going  to  own  and  control  the  public  airwaves  for  years  to  come  and  without 
 gaining  the  benefit  of  their  input  on  what  is  being  proposed.  This  is  no  way  to  do  business  when  critical  issues  affecting  every  American  are  at  stake.  I  am  disappointed  that  the  Chairman 
 refuses  to  heed  the  calls  of  colleagues,  as  well  as  many  Members  of  Congress,  to  let  the  sun  shine  on  his  proposals  before  the  Commission  decides  on  further  media  concentration.” 


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