Media watchers and alternative-media producers from across
the state will meet in Sarasota
Saturday, October 6, for a day of presentations, panels, and dialogues on media
reform, particularly as it affects Floridians. The event will run from 9 to 6
and will be held on the campus of New College of Florida.
“We’ll be looking at a broad spectrum of media-reform
issues, from media conglomeration, to public access TV and low-power FM radio,
to media literacy,” says Mark Kmetzko, Director of Florida Media Project (FMP)
and a co-organizer of the event.
This is the first such event for Florida,
getting its impetus not only from this year’s National Conference for Media
Reform (in Memphis) but also the well-attended
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) hearing in Tampa this past spring.
“In April we saw hundreds of Floridians spend their Monday
night waiting for a chance to tell the FCC commissioners how dissatisfied they
are with the mainstream media,” says Brad Ashwell, Legislative Advocate with
the Florida Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). “With this October event we
hope to build on that energy and provide a way for these people to stay engaged
and connected.”
The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are
urged to contribute to the two organizations helping pull the conference
together: FMP and Florida PIRG.
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