CONTACT:
Karen Young, Chicago Media Watch, 773-404-8258
cmwpac (at) attbi.com
www.chicagomediawatch.org

CHICAGO MEDIA WATCH CELEBRATES "MEDIA DEMOCRACY DAY", OCTOBER 18, WITH "TRICK OR TREAT" TOUR OF LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS
Tour Aims To Build Opposition to FCC's Killing of Media Ownership Limits

Chicago, October 4 -- The Chicago Media Watch Political Action Committee (CMW PAC) announces a walking tour of downtown Chicago media sites, scheduled for Friday, October 18, International Media Democracy Day. The event will begin with a press conference, scheduled for 9:30 AM, and the tour will commence immediately afterward.

The theme of the event is "Big Media Gets Treats; Public Tricked!" The objectives are:

* Raise awareness of concentrated media ownership and its harmful effects

* Protest the Federal Communication Commission's proposed removal of the remaining ownership restrictions on media companies

* Encourage the public to contact their elected officials and the FCC with comments about the local effects of media concentration, during the FCC's public comment period on the proposed changes, which ends Jan. 2, 2003.

Participants will be dressed in Halloween costumes and give away candy and informative flyers.

On October 1, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released 12 studies examining the current state of the media marketplace, including how consumers use the media, how advertisers view the different media outlets, and how media ownership affects diversity, localism and competition. The FCC is seeking comment on these studies as part of a review of Broadcast Ownership Rules, which was launched on September 12, 2002. The 90-day comment period runs from Oct. 2 to Jan, 2, 2003. This week, FCC Chairman Michael Powell said that "no merger proposal would be deemed unthinkable" by his agency. The largest media companies have been vigorously attacking the few remaining regulations in the courts of late, and have won important victories both there and at the FCC.

ABOUT CHICAGO MEDIA WATCH
Chicago Media Watch is a media watch group, which publishes a quarterly newsletter and organizes media conferences. The Political Action Committee organizes specific political actions to oppose media deregulation and consolidation, among other issues. See our website at www.chicagomediawatch.org.

ABOUT MEDIA DEMOCRACY DAY
After originating in Canada in 2001, Media Democracy Day is now an international event based on three themes:

Education - Understanding how the media shapes our world and our democracy

Protest - Against a media system based on commercialization and exclusiveness

Change - Media reforms that respond to public interests, promote diversity, and ensure community representation and accountability. For more information, see www.mediademocracyday.org.