Category Archives: Press Room

Recent press releases issued by Media Alliance. Sometimes we’ll post newspaper, radio and broadcast interviews here as well.

Press Room

Comcast-Time Warner Merger Falls Apart

 

April 24, 2015

For Immediate Release

Contact: Tracy Rosenberg, Media Alliance  (510) 684-6853 (mobile)

Comcast-Time Warner Merger Falls Apart

Department of Justice and FCC Cite Merger As Anti-Competitive and Comcast Withdraws Application

Oakland-This morning media justice advocates celebrated as the merger of Comcast Corporation and Time Warner Cable came to an abrupt end with this morning’s withdrawal of the merger application.

The proposed merger, which looked unstoppable when announced in 2014, would have produced a vertically-integrated megacompany with monopoly power in high-speed broadband and a record of favoring their owned content over competing content. Continue reading Comcast-Time Warner Merger Falls Apart →

Press Room, Surveillance

Changing Oakland’s reputation With The Development Of A Privacy Policy

 

By Tracy Rosenberg , Guest Commentary – Oakland Tribune Posted:   02/03/2015

When out-of-towners think about Oakland, stories about dangerous flatlands filled with guns and gangs have been regular images. But we can change the story and, slowly, we are.

One more opportunity to rebrand Oakland as a progressive and forward-thinking city lies in front of us next Tuesday, when the city will begin a review of the privacy policy recommendations developed over the past year by the Ad-Hoc Privacy Committee.

Continue reading Changing Oakland’s reputation With The Development Of A Privacy Policy →

Media Ownership, Press Room

Why The Death Of Comcast-Time Warner Merger Won’t Help Consumers

 

by Peter Lee  San Francisco Chronicle  April 29 2015

Credit to the Federal Communications Commission for doing its job — about 20 years too late.

Due to opposition from the FCC and U.S. Department of Justice, Comcast dropped its proposed $45 billion bid to purchase Time Warner Cable on Friday, preventing two of the nation’s least-popular companies from becoming one enormously unpopular mega-company.

For consumers, the failed merger represents something of a muted victory. The FCC’s record on protecting consumers has been beyond abysmal since the federal government deregulated the telecom industry in the mid-1990s, but Friday’s decision shows the agency is still, apparently, willing to draw the line somewhere.

Continue reading Why The Death Of Comcast-Time Warner Merger Won’t Help Consumers →

Internet Freedom, Press Room

Without Net Neutrality, How Are Oakland’s Communities Affected?

 

Posted by Jean Lee on June 27th, 2014
Oakland Local

Viewing an episode of your favorite show may become a matter of speed, fast or slow. Trying to watch that season finale of Game of Thrones or that premiere of Orange is the New Black could become an experience based on how much you’re willing to pay.

The way we watch our shows online, or anything online, for that matter, could face some significant changes under the Federal Communications Commission’s new proposal. In May, the FCC voted 3-2 to proceed with Chairman Tom Wheeler’s proposed “Open Internet,” which would essentially allow for Internet Service Providers to prioritize certain sites like Netflix and YouTube, and charge users premium fees for accessing them at a faster pace.

Continue reading Without Net Neutrality, How Are Oakland’s Communities Affected? →

Media Ownership, Press Room

Proposed CPUC Rejection of Comcast/TWC Adds Wrinkle to California’s Review of Deal

 

Communications Daily – April 14 2015

California Public Utilities Commissioner Mike Florio’s filing Friday suggesting the CPUC reject the Comcast/Time Warner Cable (TWC) deal further unsettles the commission’s review of the merger, industry observers in the state told us. Florio said in his alternate proposed decision rejecting the deal (see 1504100049) that Administrative Law Judge Karl Bemesderfer’s proposed decision approving Comcast/ TWC with 25 conditions (see 1502170059) can’t effectively mitigate “adverse consequences” posed by the merger. Comcast “does not have a good record of abiding” by CPUC-imposed conditions and the company has contested all 25 conditions in the Bemesderfer draft, Florio said. Continue reading Proposed CPUC Rejection of Comcast/TWC Adds Wrinkle to California’s Review of Deal →

Media Ownership, Press Room

CPUC Should Say No To Supersizing Comcast

 

By Tracy Rosenberg     March 13, 2015    SF Chronicle Link

Bigger isn’t always better.

Of all the cable, telephone and Internet companies, the one with the most awful reputation is Comcast. Type the words “Comcast customer service” into a search engine and prepare to be flooded with customers using words like “nightmarish,” “embarrassing,” “worst ever,” “epic failure” and “customer service from hell.”

And America is not enduring this for the sake of bargain-basement prices.

 

Continue reading CPUC Should Say No To Supersizing Comcast →

Press Room, Surveillance

San Leandro Police Face Opposition in Push for New Armored Vehicle

 

KQED News – January 9, 2015

San Leandro residents sounded off Thursday night about the potential purchase of an armored transport known as a BearCat, objecting to what they say is the militarization of local law enforcement

More than 100 people came out to the San Leandro Senior Center to get a look at the vehicle, called a MedEvac, which is advertised as “an armored Response & Rescue SWAT truck” and which police say will be used primarily for rescue operations throughout the region. Protesters chanted “No Thanks, No Tanks,” while police officials showed off two stretchers from the vehicle. Continue reading San Leandro Police Face Opposition in Push for New Armored Vehicle →

Press Room

American Daydream: A Review

 

Posted by Tracy Rosenberg

American Day Dream is situated in San Francisco and embedded in the things we love about the Bay Area, but also lodged in the rear corner of our minds that hasn’t forgotten the Snowden revelations of June 2013. Or Cointelpro. Or every bit of sickening evidence that we are less free than we think.

In the long tradition of dystopian science fiction, but imbued with a humane and strongly feminist tilt, American Day Dream grabs hold of the red pill/blue pill dilemma of Hollywood’s Matrix, but without all the futuristic shiny toys. Continue reading American Daydream: A Review →

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