With the explosive growth of the Internet and broadband, we now have the potential for a truly democratic media system offering a wide variety of independent sources of news and information, with control over content in the hands of the many rather than a few select media giants. But powerful communications companies have other plans: the big cable, TV and Internet providers are using their political clout to gain ever greater control over the Internet. How does this new media system function? What is at stake?- And what can we do to fight it?