Dec 21, 2004 -- Alliance for Better Campaigns to Merge with Campaign Legal Center's Media Policy Program: Groups Join Forces to Advocate for Media Reform

WASHINGTON (December 21)- The Alliance for Better Campaigns and the Campaign Legal Center's Media Policy Program will merge in early 2005.

The Alliance , in its new role as the Legal Center 's Media Policy Program, will continue advocating for legal and policy reforms that reduce the cost and increase the flow of political communication on the nation's publicly owned airwaves. It will also help shape political broadcasting policy by promoting awareness and enforcement of political broadcasting laws through FCC rulemaking proceedings, congressional action and public education. Meredith McGehee , who currently leads the Alliance , will become the director of the Legal Center 's Media Policy Program .

The Campaign Legal Center is a nonpartisan, nonprofit group working to improve and enforce the nation's campaign finance, communications and government ethics laws. The group represents the public interest in administrative and legal proceedings where the nation's campaign finance and related media laws are enforced: at the Federal Election Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Internal Revenue Service and in the courts. Trevor Potter , a former FEC commissioner and chairman, serves as president and general counsel. The Pew Charitable Trusts, the Joyce Foundation and the Stuart Family Foundation have provided substantial funding to both the Legal Center and the Alliance over the last several years.

" The Legal Center and the Alliance share a similar reform agenda, and not only on the role of media in politics. We look forward to working together to improve our electoral system, and helping ensure that current laws are enforced by the FCC, as well as the FEC," Potter said.

Since its inception in 1998, the Alliance for Better Campaigns has sought to improve elections by promoting campaigns in which the most useful information reaches the greatest number of citizens in the most engaging ways . The group advocates holding broadcasters accountable to their public interest obligations, and works to open the political process to more competition and greater voter participation.

"This merger represents the best opportunity for the Alliance 's good work to continue," said McGehee. "The Legal Center is a very high quality and well-respected organization, with an impressive track record over a relatively short period of time. The Alliance and the Legal Center bring different but complementary skills to the table, and we're excited about the synergies this move will create."

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Contact:

Mark Glaze , CLC: 202.232.6222 or 202.271.0982 (cell)

Meredith McGehee , Alliance : 202.659.1300 or 202.669.9919 (cell)