Members of two prominent American rock bands have joined consumer groups and media watchdogs in blasting the FCC’s plan to further relax rules on media ownership in the U.S. Mike Mills of R.E.M. and Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam described the effect that media consolidation has already had on the American music scene as catastrophic, and said that the continuing domination of radio, advertising, and ticket distribution by mega-companies like Clear Channel “makes it very threatening for any band that wants to make statements contrary to the proper American way of doing things.”