WASHINGTON - September 6 - Federal Communications Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps will visit Milwaukee this Thursday night, Sept. 7, to listen to local concerns about media consolidation.

WHAT: Town Meeting on the Future of Media

WHEN: Thursday, Sept. 7, 2006, 6:30 p.m.

WHERE: University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, in the Helen Bader Concert Hall in the Helene Zelazo Center for the Performing Arts

WHO: FCC Commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps, local leaders, media representatives and concerned citizens.

The Town Meeting on the Future of the Media is taking place as the FCC reviews federal rules on media ownership. The FCC has proposed changing how many television stations one company can own and allowing one company to own television stations, radio stations and the major daily newspaper in the same market. The Town Meeting on the Future of Media will include an open microphone session for the public to offer testimony on media issues to Commissioners Adelstein and Copps.

The forum, which is free and open to the public, will also feature a panel discussions on how media concentration affects local news and information with Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton; David R. Newby, Wisconsin State AFL-CIO; Robert Miranda, editor, Milwaukee Spanish Journal; Carolyn Castore, League of Women Voters; Eric Von, host, The Eric Von Show; Dianne Farsetta, Center for Media And Democracy; Mary Glass, Campaign Neighborhood — CFNBA; David Allen, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee; Lindy Anderson, Madison Christian Low Power Radio Association; and John Nichols, Madison Capital Times. Justice Janine Geske, Distinguished Professor of Law at Marquette University Law School, will moderate the panels.

The Milwaukee meeting is being organized by Free Press in partnership with the Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, the Diederich College of Communication at Marquette University, AFSCME Council 48, Campaign Neighborhood — CFNBA, Citizen Action of Wisconsin, the Center for Media and Democracy, Common Cause in Wisconsin, Community Shares of Greater Milwaukee, the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin, MATA Community Media, Milwaukee Central Labor Council, Milwaukee LGBT Community Center, the Midwest States Center, NARAL Pro-Choice Wisconsin, Peace Action of Wisconsin, Prometheus Radio Project, Sierra Club Great Waters Group, Voces de la Frontera, Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and the Wisconsin State AFL-CIO.

For more information on the Town Meeting on the Future of Media, click here.

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