House Commerce Committee Dems 'deeply concerned' with FCC plan to weaken media rules

Five Democrats on the House Commerce Committee have joined the growing chorus of lawmakers calling on the Federal Communications Commission to reconsider its plan to relax media ownership rules.

In a letter sent to FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski, Reps. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), Mike Doyle (D-PA), Edolphus Towns (D-NY) and Bobby Rush (D-IL), and Del. Donna Christensen (Virgin Islands) wrote that they are "deeply concerned" with the FCC's proposal. "Simply put, resting any justification to relax the Commission's media ownership rule on the growth of Internet news ignores the millions of Americans not yet online," they wrote. The letter carries particular weight because the Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over the FCC.