Edit Memo: What to Watch at the Re-Shaped FCC

Dear editorial writers and reporters: Our nation’s media ecosystems are undergoing revolutionary changes. Consider:The Washington Post was just sold to the founder of Amazon

• There’s controversy in New York over the end of universal landline service
• A wave of consolidation threatens to wipe out independent, locally-owned media
• Bidding wars are underway for television stations in battleground states which are now seen as “cash cows” in the aftermath of the Citizens United decision.

These are just a few of the recent headlines that reveal how quickly America’s media landscape is changing.

What’s not moving as quickly is the federal agency charged with oversight of broadcast media, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In coming weeks, the Senate is expected to confirm a new chair of that board, former industry lobbyist Tom Wheeler, and a new member, Republican nominee Michael O’Rielly.

Here’s a memo from Common Cause on what we’ll be watching at the re-shaped FCC.

Former FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who is leading Common Cause’s Media and Democracy Reform Initiative, is available to discuss these issues in further depth.