Taking a page from deposed predecessor Michael Powell's playbook, FCC chief Kevin Martin has announced a supposedly "public" hearing on localism in the media, for this Wednesday, October 31, Halloween, from 9-2pm. The venue -- his plush downtown offices convenient to the well-heeled communications lobbyists that court him, the time -- daytime, and the announcement itself -- late in the day just one short week in advance, were all designed to limit public participation. Along with Free Press, Consumers Union and the Stop Big Media Campaign, we're supporting a rally at the FCC at 9am Halloween morning. Take Metro to Smithsonian, get off on the Independence Ave. side, turn right off the escalator and go a few blocks to the FCC at 445 12th St SW and do the monster mash (Make the F in FCC stand for Frankenstein.) Print out this rally flyer from Stopbigmedia.com and pass it on. Consumer champions and FCC commissioners Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps put out a short statement criticizing Martin. Excerpt:

This is unacceptable and unfair to the public. And it makes putting together an expert panel nearly impossible. "Is the Commission serious about allowing the public to participate in the agency's decisionmaking? Or is the goal to be able to claim that hearings have been held, even if the public has
not had a chance to fully participate?"