With New Internet and Cell Phone Rules, Federal Communications Commission Approves Mass Sell-off of Public Airwaves

As Rupert Murdoch's purchase of Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal dominated headlines this week, another media story of great significance has been overshadowed. The Federal Communications Commission has approved a set of rules to auction off a sizable chunk of the public airwaves. These rules will guide how the FCC sells licenses to use the public airwaves for wireless phones and Internet access.

This story might not have made the front page of your local newspaper, but the FCC's actions will likely affect the lives of everyone in this country that uses the Internet and mobile phones. To explain what the FCC is doing, Craig Aaron is still with us in Chicago. He is communications director at Free Press. We are also joined by Wally Bowen, executive director of the Mountain Area Information Network, a non-profit Internet Service Provider that offers Internet service in western North Carolina. He is also the founder of the low power FM station WPVM.

• Wally Bowen. Executive Director, Mountain Area Information Network, a non-profit Internet Service Provider that offers Internet service in western North Carolina. It is based in Ashville North Carolina. He is also the founder of the low power FM station WPVM.

• Craig Aaron. Communications director at Free Press, a media reform organization.

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