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Yet another Federal Grand Jury targeting local activists has been convened. The apparent reason is to investigate the anti-G8 protest held in the Mission District on July 8, 2005, during which a local police officer was injured. Independent journalist Josh Wolf, a frequent poster to Indybay, has been subpoenaed to provide his unedited videotape of the demonstration. June 15th update: Josh refused to testify or provide video evidence to the federal grand jury. Instead of being held in contempt, he was told by the prosecutor that he was free to go. imc_photo.gif Photos & Video
There will be a Free Speech Rally and BLR Press Conference on Saturday, March 11th at 2pm at the corner of Telegraph and Haste Streets in Berkeley. Read more

On February 21, 2006, two Federal Communications Commission agents demanded to search a residence in Oakland, California-- they were looking for the Berkeley Liberation Radio station. The occupants refused to allow the F.C.C. to enter the house without a warrant. The F.C.C. retreated, stating they would be back with one and left a ten-day notice for the occupants to respond.

Berkeley Liberation Radio volunteers say that they feel compelled to continue to stand up and give a platform for the voices in the community and beyond. They say that Bush cannot own the air, and that he is under Citizen's Arrest for his many crimes against humanity. They refuse to be silenced by the Bush regime.

imc_audio.gif FRSC's recent Interview with Gerald Smith of BLR about the FCC's visit, and some of the history of BLR
"el enemigo común" scratches beneath the surface of neoliberalism, at some of the most hidden atrocities in recent North American history. The film documents instances of paramilitary activity against indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico from 2002 through 2005 while including scenes from an international human rights movement in 2003, in Miami against the Free Trade Area of the America's, and in Cancun against the World Trade Organization. The three locations in isolation expose the disparity of North American resistances, but together bring us closer to understanding the nature of an emerging common struggle. The film has recently screened in San Francisco, Oakland, Santa Cruz and Santa Ana.

Watch Trailer | Austin Inymedia | El Enemigo Común Blog

imc_audio.gif Audio from Santa Cruz Screening: Simon speaks on El Enemigo Común || Ryan Harvey performed: COINTELPRO | Open Song to the U.S. Occupying Forces | Remember Me | Freedom | New Orleans Got Iraqed | The Plan Puebla Panama | Give It Time

Upcoming Screenings: Berkeley March 1st, San Francisco March 3rd and Oakland March 4th
We are very pleased to announce that the Santa Cruz Independent Media Center will now be regionally integrated with Indybay.org, the website of the San Francisco Bay Area Independent Media Center. The new website address for Santa Cruz Indymedia is Indybay.org/SantaCruz. Together, as media activists in Central and Northern California and throughout the world, we will share news and information for a world based on freedom, cooperation, justice and solidarity, and against environmental degradation, neoliberal exploitation, racism and patriarchy.

Read More about Santa Cruz IMC integrating with Indybay | Lee Más... Santa Cruz CMI se ha Integrado con Indybay.org

Read More about Indybay's New Regional Coverage, Redesign, and More

Media Action Marin is working to create an independent, non-profit Community Media Center that will allow people in Marin to create, control and broadcast their own programs over cable’s PEG channels (Public, Education and Government). The next meeting of the Marin Telecommunications Agency (MTA) will be on Wednesday, Jan 11th, 2006 from 6pm to 8pm, in the Larkspur Town Hall at 400 Magnolia, Larkspur, CA. Media Action Marin is asking for people to attend and voice their support for independent, non-profit community media in Marin. Informational Flyer

Media Action Marin Website | Be the Media

Indybay's North Bay News Page
Advocates for media democracy won a victory in Fresno on Tuesday, December 6th, 2005. The Board of Supervisors held a public hearing to discuss the Fresno County Contract with Comcast cable. imc_photo.gif Photos and Report A broad coalition of activists, community groups and educational organizations attended and participated in the meeting. By the end of the meeting, the supervisors had agreed that the franchise agreement will include Public, Education, and Government (PEG) channels. The supervisors are also interested in including a Community Media Center (CMC) in the agreement.

There had been concern that the county contract would not include a public channel. A board briefing report posted on the board of supervisors website, had implied that one outcome of the meeting could be an agreement that did not include a public access channel or community media center. Fresno County did not hire a consultant to help them negotiate the franchise agreement and did not hold community needs assessment meetings to determine public interest in PEG or the CMC. Instead, county staff entered into informal negotiations with Comcast and went to the meeting with a proposal, which according to community media activists, fell far short of what a good franchise agreement should contain. It was unanimously agreed to extend the current contract for 90 days. Staff was directed to include a public access channel in the contract. This was exactly the outcome Fresno media democracy advocates wanted.

Board members, at times in the discussion, did not seem clear about who would run a CMC or decide what programming would go on the PEG channels. Supervisor Bob Waterston repeatedly expressed concerns about the content on the public access channel. He said, “What if the board of supervisors voted against the use of medical marijuana or the needle exchange program and we had other groups out there that disagreed with us...does that mean they could go on one of these channels we gave them and talk about anything they want?” It was obvious that he was unclear on the concepts of free speech, the First Amendment, and the purpose of a public access channel.

The coalition of groups working on this issue will be meeting in the coming weeks to follow through on the Fresno County franchise agreement and to discuss the next steps in the agreements for the cities of Fresno and Clovis.

Fresno Alliance Website
On November 8th, Bill O'Reilly went on KNEW-910AM and used the public airwaves to condone a terrorist strike on San Francisco. He suggested that Al Qaeda specifically blow up Coit Tower - which is dedicated as a memorial to fallen firefighters. O'Reilly said, "And if Al Qaeda comes in here and blows you up, we're not gonna do anything about it. We're going to say, look, every other place in America is off limits to you, except San Francisco. You wanna blow up the Coit Tower? Go ahead." These comments were roundly criticized by Mayor Gavin Newsom, Supervisors Daly and Peskin, John Hanley (President of the San Francisco Firefighters Union Local 798), local journalists at KRON, the SF Chronicle, CBS-5, and many community activists.

Media activists feel that this is one more reason why people should take action now to deny KNEW's license renewal. This can be done by going to http://www.bethemedia.org to print, sign and mail an Informal Objection to the FCC and the Station Owner before November 30, 2005. These letters can help to make the FCC aware of Clear Channel/KNEW's pattern of broadcasting anti-American hate speech on the public airwaves. The Be the Media Website also has sample letters and background about struggles against Clear Channel.

Read more | Why Bill O'Reilly Hates San Francisco
Osama Bin O'Reilly Issues Fatwa Against San Francisco: imc_photo.gif Photos | imc_video.gif Video