THIS CROOK STILL GAINING INFLUENCE

Rupert Murdoch is about to get all the goodies on his holiday wish list.

Murdoch has set his sights on the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune — the major papers in the nation's second- and third-largest cities (where, incidentally, he already owns several TV stations).^1,2

And get this: The Federal Communications Commission — the Obama FCC, no less — is trying to change the rules so Murdoch can get exactly what he wants. Worse, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is hoping the agency can pass these changes without you noticing.

Murdoch's media grab would be illegal under the current rules. But Chairman Genachowski is pushing the other commissioners for changes that would translate into a giveaway for Rupert and other media barons.³

Murdoch and Genachowski think no one is watching. It's time to raise hell:

Take a Stand: No More Media for Murdoch

Rupert Murdoch is the guy who’s under investigation in England for phone hacking, influence peddling and bribery. U.S. officials should be cross-examining him — not giving him more power and influence. 

And these rule changes wouldn’t just benefit Murdoch. If the FCC changes the rules, one company could own the major daily newspaper, two TV stations and up to eight radio stations in your town. And that one company could be your Internet provider, too. 

Sound familiar? It should. The FCC is pushing the same Bush-era media consolidation policy we rallied millions against in 2003 and 2007. It's the same policy we beat in court two years ago — and before that, back in 2005. This is the same policy the Senate voted to overturn back in 2008 — a rebuke to runaway media concentration led by, among others, then-Sen. Barack Obama.⁴

But like some villain in a zombie movie, this policy is now back from the dead. We need to kill this thing for good — and remind the FCC that 99 percent of the public opposes media consolidation, no matter who’s in the White House or the chairman's seat. 

No More Consolidation: Stop the Murdoch Media Empire

If Genachowski and Murdoch get their way, the first big policy change after Obama's reelection will be a huge handout to the biggest media companies. These changes will show the FCC doesn't care about diversity — and will push more women and people of color off the airwaves. And Genachowski wants to ram these rules through without holding a single public hearing attended by all five FCC commissioners.  Genachowski doesn’t even want to hold the vote in public.

We can still stop them from taking this perilous step — but we have less than a month to do it. By taking action, you’re joining a movement of millions who are working to stop big media from getting even bigger.

We need to hear from you today.

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