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FCC Relaxes Media Ownership Rules... Again
First of all, has anyone ever noticed that it looks like the eagle is getting electrocuted on the FCC's official seal over there? Ker-ZAPP, take that, freedom! Anyway, earlier today in a party-line 3-2 vote, the good old Commission overturned a 32-year-old ban that forbade broadcasters in the 20 largest media markets from also owning a newspaper. Do you get the sense that everybody in the Bush administration is just kind of "shooting the moon" at this point? Like, "screw it, let's just do all the evil crap we want, who cares?" Both Republican and Democratic members of congress had asked FCC chairman Kevin Martin not to proceed with the decision, but the White House was gunnin' for it. Yee-haw. [Edit: Hey, turns out MoJo's totally on top of this beat, check out this article, "Breaking the News," for some background.]
The new rules are themselves a bit complicated, requiring eight independent "voices" (i.e., media companies) in a top 20 market before a newspaper-TV broadcaster combination would be allowed, and the TV station involved must not be one of the top four in the market. In markets smaller than the top 20, a TV partner of such a deal must add seven hours of local news unless the newspaper or station is in "financial distress." With FCC chairmen tending to spend all their time getting their picture taken with celebrities, one wonders where they'll find the time to keep track of all that stuff. But hey, now it's theoretically possible for the San Francisco Chronicle and KRON-TV to be reunited! Lord knows they've both got to qualify for "financial distress."
Comments
It seems to me that the Republicans cannot make a complicated situation clear. In their push to control, they continue to confuse with their own confused inability to SOLVE problems. They seem only able to confuse and complicate them with schemes which do NOT WORK.
Information is the oxygen of a democracy. I wonder if FCC chairman Kevin Martin has been promised a huge paying job with "his coveted" media market who now have great financial opportunities and can feed the population information only they deem necessary.
Posted by: kay mouradian on 12/19/07 at 12:55 PM Respond
I never saw the FCC Seal before, but the metaphor you draw would have leaped out at me, if I had.
In Alaska, that's how our power goes out, most of the time. We're always hearing that line crews found a smoking eagle carcass hanging from the shorted lines.
Put eagles and high voltage together, and you get barbeque.
Posted by: Dan Mortenson on 12/19/07 at 1:12 PM Respond
I think that Bush and the Republicans figure that because they had their plans to invade Iran stifled they're going to wreak (even more than they already have) havoc at home.
It's difficult to see how America will recover from the W years.
Especially as all presidential candidates seem to care only about immigration...
Posted by: uk visa on 12/19/07 at 1:36 PM Respond
This smells of Rupert "I'm gonna rule the world" Murdoch. Funny how he owns Fox News, the official TV channel of the White House, not to mention a string of newspapers from the Wall Street Journal to the tabloid New York Post. Don't trust Murdoch, America!
Posted by: nerva on 12/19/07 at 3:22 PM Respond
Maybe instead of throwing tea in the harbor we should burn all newspapers in effgy and smash all our t.v.s in special cermonies all across the country and personally, I'm evening willing to stop using the computer to save my country. How 'bout you?
Posted by: Nancy on 12/19/07 at 9:23 PM Respond
OH goody how many more networks will this be creating for the Rupbert
Murdoch Dynasty!
Posted by: Bobby Decker on 12/20/07 at 9:17 AM Respond
OH goody how many more networks will this be creating for the Rupbert
Murdoch Dynasty!
Posted by: Bobby Decker on 12/20/07 at 9:18 AM Respond
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Posted by: Beverly Smith on 12/19/07 at 12:39 PM Respond