The broadcasters' promise to "serve the public interest, convenience and necessity" rings hollow.  By the time a child turns 18, she or he will have seen 40,000 murders and 200,000 violent acts on television.  That is not in the public interest.  How are women's interests served when 87% of all sound bites from "experts" are provided by men?  And how are people of color served when 92% of those men are white?  What message do  our kids get when only 10% of children's educational programs have female stars?

The answer is clear.  The current system only serves to reinforce the messages of corporations and reflect their values.  While the public airwaves generate an estimated $115 billion in annual revenues, broadcasters pay no rent, no fees, no taxes -- no charges at all -- for their use of the airwaves.  And the new digital spectrum will dramatically increase those revenues through corporate use of public assets.  Rather than serving the public, broadcasters are ripping us off!

NOW is joining forces with a broad range of coalition partners to demand well-defined and fully enforced public interest obligations for broadcasters.  NOW and other community groups and diverse voices ought to have as much access to the public airwaves as Time Warner, Disney, GTE and other media giants.