:Vocalo.org

There's some rather jaw-dropping news out of the FCC today. If you're lost already, recall that the Federal Communications Commission was in Chicago last month to hear what we, the public, have to say about media ownership. Are we happy with the current laws, which allow one company to own multiple radio and tv stations in a given city, and an unlimited number of stations nationally? Do we feel like there's enough diversity on the airwaves? Do we feel like we're being adequately served by broadcast media? How would we feel about those regulations being relaxed even more? In a stunning display of civic engagement, over 800 people turned out to the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Headquarters on September 20th to testify and answer those questions directly.Now it seems that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is ready to move forward with a vote on these issues - as early as mid-December. He thinks he's got the votes to further relax ownership regulations, rather than tighten them to prevent more ownership consolidation, and, he's proposing to scrap the regulations that prevent one company from owning both tv/radio stations and newspapers in the same market, something that would have a direct impact on Chicago's own Tribune Company. Today we'll debrief the hearings with writer and media activist Anne Elizabeth Moore and Karl Brinson, President of the NAACP's Chicago Westside Branch, both of whom were at the hearing. We'll also talk with Yolanda Hippensteele of the media non-profit Free Press about the significance of today's news and how it relates to what we heard last month.

What do YOU have to say about this? How do you feel about media ownership in Chicago? Do you think the Tribune should be allowed to keep its tv, radio and newspaper holdings in Chicago? What do you think of the FCC's announcement and the way they're moving forward on this issue. Comment here or call 888-635-1112.

ALSO: We'll hear excerpts from two lives documented by the City2000 Project, a sort of audio time capsule documenting life in Chicago from the year 2000. Ok, maybe not much has changed since then, but these folks are interesting. John Sampson, an aging musician, talks about his friendship with Charlie "Cuckoo Bird" Parker and his prostitute girlfriend, and a former gang member talks about life in "the organization," including watching a preacher take billy clubs hits to break up fights. The series was produced by Andrea DeFotis Edwards. Thanks to Allison Seagram at UIC's Daley library for making the recordings available to Vocalo. We'll also, as always, hear more of your rad music and content from the site. Stay tuned!

(Click here for today's full rundown.)