Focus Areas

In the realm of media reform, the Program on Governance and Public Policy concentrates on shifts in the media industries that are related to the functioning of democracy. For example, research and advocacy by grantees helped convince the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to slow down the process of deregulating radio ownership, and the Media Access Project remains at the center of advocacy within the FCC.

Other grantees, such as New America Foundation, have explored whether the broadcast spectrum can be treated as a common good, or whether opening access to the spectrum for public use could be an alternative to regulation. The Campaign and Media Legal Center has crafted the legal arguments for making broadcast time available to candidates. There is a growing interest in media policy issues among public interest groups and other foundations.