Campaign Financing Decision and the Open Internet

The FCC should consider the impact of today's Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, No. 08-205, on the access of individuals and small organizations to the electronic media. Clearly, with corporations free to engage in political speech, the Commission should work to support media for the citizens such as Internet broadcasting under a system of network neutrality. The candidates and policies favored by large corporations will get a lot of money and airtime. America will need an open Internet where individuals and small organizations can present their candidates and policies. In addition, the Commission should expand the low power FM (LPFM) broadcasting service by allowing establishment of the 10-Watt broadcasting stations. Also, the Commission should issue a Notice of Inquiry (NOI) on my proposal for neighborhood oriented millimeter wave broadcasting service. My proposal for millimeter-wave broadcasting is made all that more useful by the possible court action against the Commission on network neutrality. The text of my proposal is attached to this message.
Nickolaus E. Leggett
Analyst