Prometheus Radio Project appreciates the court's willingness to hear our arguments

Organizers at the Prometheus Radio Project met news of a stay on the Federal Communications Commissions push to deregulate media ownership with enthusiasm yesterday, September 3rd. These new FCC rule changes, changes that would dramatically alter the American media landscape, were blocked from being implemented by the Third Circuit Federal Court of Appeals, in Philadephia, Pennsylvania.

The Prometheus Radio Project brought the motion to stay the rules on behalf of their constituents, the many thousands of Americans fighting to build low power, independent radio stations. Prometheus also works in coalition with many consumer rights, media justice, and public access groups, all of whom have fought actively to repeal the new rules.

"These new rules, if implemented, would allow media corporations to consolidate control over more outlets than ever before, especially for lower income people who can't afford sattelite cable and the internet," said Prometheus Technical Director Pete Tridish. "Americans are concerned about giant corporations having too much power over the media. If ever there was a special interest, it's the giant media corporations. They manage America's perceptions of their activities using the very airwaves they control. These are the wrong sorts of groups to give so much power over what Americans see and hear about their world. This decision to stay the rules will give Americans a chance to convince the powers that be that the consolidation that has already happened in radio should not hapen in other media."

The Prometheus Radio Project is an activist organization that fights for more democratic ownership and regulation of media. Prometheus advocates for community organizations that want to start radio stations, and has helped build the first radio stations owned by civil rights and environmental organizations in the United States.