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GUESTS: Harold Feld, Senior Vice President of Media Access Project, Craig Aaron, Communications Director of Free Press

We begin the show today with a round up of recent media news. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC), recently announced an auction involving 60 MHz of spectrum at the 700 MHz band that broadcasters are to return as part of the digital TV transition. A public-interest law firm Media Access Project, found that a similar auction last year resulted in large U.S. cable and phone companies and others, successfully blocking potential key new competitors from winning wireless-broadband-spectrum auctions. This year they’re calling on the FCC to adopt anonymous bidding and other regulations to ensure fairness. Meanwhile, in other media access news, a panel created by Congress to set royalties on digital music approved a big increase last month, retroactive to 2006, for companies that stream music over the Internet. This ruling could have a huge impact on internet radio and other community media, including Pacifica stations like KPFK that offer audio streaming. Finally, the US Postal Service recently adopted an increase in mailing costs for periodicals that could greatly impact the circulation costs of small publications and independent magazines. The rate hike was based on a recommendation by media giant Time Warner.

For more information, visit www.mediaaccess.org, freepress.net, and stoppostalratehikes.com.