Powell Pleased, Finds Public Comments ‘Staggering’

FCC Chairman Michael Powell doesn’t think people have a hard time speaking up about broadcast ownership.
“The number of comments is staggering – 13,000 from the general public alone,” he said in a released statement.
“This record clearly demonstrates that in the digital age, you don’t need a 19th century whistle-stop tour to hear from America.”
His words were in contrast to separate comments by Commissioner Michael Copps, who said this week that some critics of media consolidation fear for their jobs and are not free to speak up. He seeks a system that would allow anonymous testimony to address that.
Powell also said he plans to attend the FCC’s hearing on ownership in Richmond, Va., on Feb. 27.