For immediate release
Thursday, June 19, 2003
Washington DC — Consumers Union, the non-profit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, praised today’s vote by the Senate Commerce Committee to overturn the Federal Communications Commission’s grievously flawed decision to deregulate media ownership. Both Republican and Democratic Senators expressed their strong support for local ownership of media and robust competition between independent media outlets.
“Today’s vote creates enormous momentum to block further mergers among media giants,” said Gene Kimmelman, Consumers Union’s Director of Advocacy and Public Policy. “It represents a victory for those who support more competition and diversity from local and national media. But the fight is not over. Now we are going to carry this momentum to the full Senate and House.”
“The people won today—this is a huge blow to big media conglomerates,” continued Kimmelman.
Contact: Chris Murray – 202-462-6262
Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, is an independent nonprofit testing, educational and information organization serving only the consumer. We are a comprehensive source of unbiased advice about products and services, personal finance, health, nutrition and other consumer concerns. Since 1936, our mission has been to test products, inform the public and protect consumers