Today, more than 20 public interest, public policy and government watchdog groups sent a pair of letters to the FCC urging the agency to postpone a scheduled Nov. 4 vote to adopt rules affecting television white spaces.

Among the organizations signing the letters include the Government Accountability Project, Media Freedom Project, Americans for Tax Reform and the Liberty Coalition.

Addressed to Chairman Kevin J. Martin, the letters urge the FCC to issue a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking and open the proposed rules for public scrutiny and comment.   The organizations are not taking a position on the final disposition of the white spaces, instead, they say they are concerned regarding various media reports that the FCC has abandoned a public comment period for proposed rules and will go straight to rulemaking.

The first letter, which addresses sound and responsible regulatory governance states: "Federal regulatory agencies, such as the FCC, should be completely transparent in consideration of new rules, particularly those that impact every household in America that owns a television set."

The second letter addresses the process by which the FCC intends to make spectrum available for use. It notes: "To depart from the government's 15-year old practice of electromagnetic spectrum auctions, particularly in light of the current economic climate, is irresponsible."

Organizations and individuals that have signed the letters include:

Good Government/Transparency:

American Legislative Exchange Council

Kit Bromley, CEO, Background Checks Intl., Inc.

Susan A. Carleson, Chairman, American Civil Rights Union

Mark P. Cohen, Executive Director, Government Accountability Project

Eli Gold, Chairman, The Harbour League

Colin A. Hanna, President, Let Freedom Ring

Derek Hunter, Executive Director, Media Freedom Project

J. Bradley Jansen, Director, Center for Financial Privacy and Human Rights

George Landrith, President, Frontiers of Freedom

Andrew Langer, President, Institute for Liberty

Jim Martin, Chairman, 60 Plus Association

Jim Martin, Chairman, National Defense Council Foundation

Iain Murray, Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology

Competitive Enterprise Institute

James Murtagh, Co-Chair, International Association of Whistleblowers (IAW)

Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

Michael Ostrolenk, National Director, Liberty Coalition

Tim Phillips, Americans for Prosperity

Scott Pullins, Esq.,  Pullins Law

Terrence Scanlon, President, Capital Research Center

William Shaker, Rule of Law Committee

Ann E.W. Stone, Republicans for Choice

Auction/Spending:

Jim Broussard, President, Citizens Against Higher Taxes

Mark P. Cohen, Executive Director, Government Accountability Project

Eli Gold, Chairman, The Harbour League

Derek Hunter, Executive Director, Media Freedom Project

Staci E. Johnson

George Landrith, President, Frontiers for Freedom

Jim Martin, Chairman, 60 Plus Association

Jim Martin, Chairman, National Defense Council Foundation

Iain Murray, Senior Fellow in Energy, Science and Technology

Competitive Enterprise Institute

Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform

Scott Pullins, Esq.,  Pullins Law

William Shaker, Rule of Law Committee

Ann E.W. Stone, Republicans for Choice