Cantwell to FCC: Bring It.

Washington Senator Maria Cantwell has thrown down a challenge to FCC Chairman Genachowski to hold a public hearing here in Seattle on his new proposal relaxing media consolidation rules.

The proposal, which echoes a failed proposal from four years ago, would relax current laws preventing one company from owning multiple types of media in a region.

Currently one company is prevented from running multiple media agencies in the same area; The Seattle Times can't buy up KOMO 4 TV and also run KUOW.  The concern is that when one company owns a monopoly on news in the region, coverage fails to be fair and balanced.

Cantwell Getting Down To Business.

Freepress.net has a petition up asking Seattleites to chime in and invite Genachowski to the beautiful Pacific Northwest for an earful. Let him have it!