Media Policy

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Restrictive media policies can curtail access to the content we do have through the infrastructure we currently have in place. There are clear roles for funders to play in helping to address media policy issues and GFEM works to keep funders abreast of the constantly shifting media policy environment.

The Media Policy Working Group (MPWG) was created to raise awareness and build knowledge about key issues in media policy within the broader philanthropic community. Our aim is to engage and educate grantmakers across fields about the ever-changing media policy and communications policy landscape, as well as foster collaboration among interested donors in support of targeted activities to help advance the media policy field. MPWG activities include a quarterly teleconference and periodic phone briefings on timely issues in addition to quarterly updates in the GFEM newsletter. MPWG also partners with other funder affinity groups to organize media policy-related sessions at national gatherings. Membership is open to grantmakers working in and outside the U.S. with an interest in learning and sharing grantmaking experiences about media policy in the public interest. If you would like to join the MPWG please contact jperlstein (at) gfem (dot) org.

Free Press Antitrust Analysis of Proposed AT&T-T-Mobile Merger

[Source: Free Press, May 10, 2011]
In a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights in advance of the subcommittee's hearing on the proposed AT&T-T-Mobile merger, Free ...

FCC Gears Up for Reverse Auctions

[Source: Connected Planet, by Joan Engebretson, May 5, 2011]
But many questions remain about how broadband funding for unserved areas would be awardedLast week’s FCC workshop on Universal Service reform was a reminder of just how serious the commission is ...

Here's Why NPR Really Matters

[Source: The Chicago Tribune, by Scott Simon, May 5, 2011]
Opinion

Acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T

[Source: Benton Foundation]
On March 21, 2011, AT&T Inc. ("AT&T") and Deutsche Telekom AG ("Deutsche Telekom") announced an agreement under which AT&T will acquire T-Mobile USA, Inc. ("T-Mobile USA") from ...

Broadband Breakfast Panel Zooms in on Broadband Adoption

[Source: BroadbandBreakfast.com, April 20, 2011]
National Telecommunications and Information Administration Deputy Administrator, Anna Gomez offered the keynote address Tuesday at this month’s Broadband Breakfast panel, opening an event where ...

Publicly Owned Broadband Networks: Averting the Looming Broadband Monopoly

[Source: Institute for Local Self-Reliance, by Christopher Mitchell, March 30, 2011]
The Institute for Local Self-Reliance is pleased to release the Community Broadband Map and report, Publicly Owned Broadband Networks: Averting the Looming Broadband Monopoly. The map plots the 54 ...

AT&T Files to Buy T-Mobile Amid Objections

[Source: Wired, by Ryan Singel, April 21, 2011]
AT&T filed its official paperwork with federal regulators Thursday to buy the fourth-place wireless carrier T-Mobile for $39 billion, saying the merger fits in with the national broadband ...

Everything You Need to Know About the Fight for TV Spectrum

[Source: GigaOm, by Stacey Higginbotham, April 14, 2011]
This week, the broadcast industry is meeting in Las Vegas to showcase Adobe products, new sites and new services. However, amid this collegial gathering of industry folk,s a $33 billion fight is ...

Public Broadcasting Is A Vital Public Service

[Source: The Hill, by Bill Kliong, April 4, 2011]
At a time when much of the world is facing economic and political disaster, it is perplexing that our Congress would direct an assault on public broadcasting — one of the most effective means of ...

Tim Wu Tries to Save the Internet

[Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education, by Marc Parry, March 20, 2011]
The scholar who coined 'net neutrality' fears a corporate takeover of the Web. Now he's in a position to fight that.