IBEW 1837 Business Manager Cynthia Phinney participated in a panel presenting testimony to the FCC in a hearing on media ownership on Thursday, June 28, 2007. The hearing was one of several held around the country over the past year for FCC Commissioners to hear directly from people in communities their thoughts and experiences about media ownership and localism. While most of the panelists focussed on local content and community involvement issues, IBEW 1837 has a special relationship with the media. Besides our interest in how well and how thoroughly the media cover labor issues both locally and nationally, IBEW 1837 also represents people who work dirctly in the industry at WGME and WABI in Maine. Busines Manager Phinney addressed local labor issues in her remarks as well as content issues.
The Portland hearing attracted over 100 citizens who offered testimony, and also had two hour-long panels of community leaders, academics, and members of the local broadcasting industry selected by the FCC. Citizens each were able to speak for up to two minutes, panelists could speak for up to five minutes. The event began at 4:00 pm and wrapped up shortly before midnight.