Save Access

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MAY 22, 2006
3:31 PM

CONTACT: Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting
212-633-6700

National Day of Out(R)age

NEW YORK - May 22 - SaveAccess.org, a national coalition of community media organizations and individuals, is coordinating a nationwide day of protests with actions taking place in New York City, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco on Wednesday, May 24th.

FAIR is helping to organize the New York City protest. Join us. Make your voice heard.

Wednesday, May 24th at the Verizon World Headquarters
140 West Street (at Vesey Street).

12:30-1:30pm (Pre-assemble at 12:15pm)
A/C/E/2/3 trains to Chambers St.
www.saveaccess.org/protest
(Times and locations of other nationwide actions listed below)

We are protesting:

1) Telco-driven congressional legislation (HR 5252 and S.2686) that endangers public access centers and channels, threatens to red-line communities, and undermines an open internet by not protecting net neutrality.
We need to stop these bills in their current form -- we need more protections.

2) Telco collusion with the NSA to illegally violate the privacy of tens of millions of Americans.
We need to demand an investigation and enforcement of the law.

3) The Telco campaign to buyoff statehouse and congressional representatives around the country to push their legislation through.
We need real campaign finance reform and political transparency.

4) The Telco policy of using “astroturf” groups to push their deceptions on the public.
We need to expose these campaigns for what they are -- corporate propaganda.

5) The mergers and takeovers within in the Telco industry that have resulted in the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
We need to stop the AT&T - BellSouth merger until there is accountability and thorough anti-trust reviews.

Other Day Of Out(r)age actions across the country include:

Boston
Rally: 1:30 – 2:00 pm In front of the Massachusetts State House, Beacon Street

Press Conference: 2:00 – 3:30 pm The Grand Staircase at the Massachusetts State House

URL: www.acmeboston.org (Action Coalition for Media Education, Boston Chapter)

Chicago
The Event: "AT&T: Bringing Us To Tiers"

The Place: Outside the AT&T / SBC building, at the intersection of Congress Parkway and South Federal Street in downtown Chicago (just a block south of the Library / State and Van Buren CTA station, immediately west of the Harold Washington Library Center)

Date/Time: Wednesday, May 24, 4pm - 6pm

San Francisco
Two Community Actions hosted by Media Alliance

12 Noon at AT&T Park
Join media advocates & community activists out front of the SF Giants game for some activist style theatrical sports. Help make the point that consumers won't play ball with AT&T and other Telcos that play ball with the NSA.

4:00pm - 6:00pm at AT&T's main San Francisco headquarters 666 Folsom Street - between 2nd & 3rd

More info at: http://saveaccess.org/protest

Members of the SaveAccess.org Coalition include:
Fairness & Accuracy In Reporting (FAIR), NYC Grassroots Media Coalition, Paper Tiger TV, Center for Digital Democracy, Free Press, Association for Community Networking, Action Coalition for Media Education, Chicago Media Action, Media Alliance, Media Tank, CCTV-Cambridge and the Center for Media & Democracy