The FCC will hold its Midwest Localism Hearing in Rapid City, South Dakota, on Wednesday, May 26, 2004, starting at 5:30pm, at the Surbeck Center at the South Dakota School of Mines in Rapid City.

This is one of a series of hearings across the U.S. to address how well (if at all) the U.S. media address concerns relevant on the local and community level. The next scheduled hearing involves the Midwest; at least three FCC commissioners are scheduled to attend (including the one, the only, Michael Powell).

Chicago Media Action is planning to take part and is organizing a roadtrip to Rapid City. Interested in taking part? Here's what you can expect:

* Expect to take off at least three days from work in the middle of the week, two of which are all-day in transit (it's a LONG roadtrip, anywhere from 12 to 14 hours each way, depending on whose estimates you believe).
* On the Wednesday of the hearing, if you want to deliver public comments, expect to stay in line a LONG time.

Unfortunately, costs have yet to be determined; it depends on how many people attending.

Why was Rapid City chosen? In part, it happens to be the hometown of one of the FCC's commissioners (Jonathan Adelstein). But the fact that it happens to be in a city with hardly any easy or cheap transit options, and smack in the middle of the workweek -- also play into the hands of Big Media.

If it seems like it's hard for committed, knowledgeable people like you to have a say in shaping media policy in the United States, this is the whole point. The comments from this hearing go into the _official_ public record, and the comments at the hearing could well help shape media policy in the United States.

Still interested in going to Rapid City? Know someone who might be? Want to tell your media story to the FCC (or do you have a story you want us to tell even if you can't come)? Contact CMA at 1-866-260-7198 or email cma (at) chicagomediaaction.org, and learn more about the hearings at:

www.freepress.net/townmeetings

Thanks.