Coalition Presents Obama-Biden Transition Team with Priorities for Broadband in Stimulus Package

As Congress and the incoming Obama Administration consider investments in broadband as part of the proposed economic stimulus package, Media and Democracy Coalition members and allies released a statement on December 22, 2008 urging policy makers to focus on the following principles: accountability and results, local approaches, access and adoption, Internet freedom and development of a coherent national broadband policy.

President-Elect Barack Obama and Congressional leaders are calling for government support to fund universal broadband Internet access as part of a potential economic stimulus package.   We applaud these discussions and strongly believe that providing every community in America with high-speed Internet access – particularly those who have long remained on the margins of public participation and debate – is essential to the economic and democratic future of the U.S.

The undersigned organizations, which represent a broad coalition of local and national public interest groups, strongly support investments in broadband build-out, as well as the training, tools and other resources needed to connect those that are currently on the wrong side of the digital divide.

Click here for the full statement and the signatories.

In a series of meetings in late December 2008, members of the Media and Democracy Coalition also met with the co-chairs of President-elect Obama's transition team on media and technology issues to present their respective policy priorities for the new administration. Attached below are brief statements from three key coalition members: Native Public Media, Consumers Union and the National Alliance for Media Arts and Culture (NAMAC).