The public is deeply and fiercely opposed to a controversial proposal by Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin that could relax longstanding media ownership restrictions before the end of the year, according to a new survey released this week. Unfortunately, Martin and his allies on the commission appear to have stopped listening to the public on this critical issue.

In a surprise announcement, AT&T said this week it will begin prorating the early termination penalties it slaps on customers who try to leave the company before their service contract is finished. Verizon, the country's other dominant cell phone company, began prorating its early termination penalties earlier this year. Unfortunately, early termination penalties are just one of the anti-consumer practices employed by the U.S. cell phone industry to keep customers from shopping around for a better deal, but a bill now moving through Congress could provide some much needed help for cell phone consumers.