Senator Rockefeller Wants FCC To 'End' Fox News, MSNBC

During a committee meeting on Wednesday about television retransmission consent, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) veered away from his prepared remarks to take aim at both Fox News and MSNBC:

More than just retransmission consent ails our television markets. We need new catalysts for quality news and entertainment programming. I hunger for quality news. I'm tired of the right and the left. There's a little bug inside of me which wants to get the FCC to say to Fox and to MSNBC, "Out. Off. End. Goodbye." It'd be a big favor to political discourse, our ability to do our work here in Congress, and to the American people, to be able to talk with each other and have some faith in their government and, more importantly, in their future.

As the New York Times points out, "There is little the Federal Communications Commission can say about Fox News or MSNBC since the channels are on cable, not delivered over the broadcast airwaves."

Rockefeller opened his remarks with a stinging rebuke of the 24-hour news cycle and the blurring of news and entertainment:

When it comes to developing content, our entertainment machine is too often in a race to the bottom. In fact, it is in a race to the bottom. Getting close. Even worse, our news media has all but surrendered to the forces of entertainment. And much of our news media is entertainment as opposed to news. Instead of a watchdog that is a check on the excesses of government and business, we have the endless barking of a 24-hour news cycle. We have journalism that is always ravenous for the next rumor, but insufficiently hungry for the facts that can nourish something called our democracy. As citizens, we are paying one heck of a price in the dumbing down of America. You're probably responsible for that.

WATCH:

Comments

[domnogin]

11:13 AM on 11/26/2010

Good, though six years after Chris Matthews' lethal interview of Governor Howard Dean MD about breaking up NBC. www.prorev.com/dean.htm ["DEAN TO GO AFTER BIG MEDIA"] Also read THE HIGHWAYMENT from the mid-90's about The Telecommunications Act of 1996 that Bill Clinton signed but later apologized about to talker www.randirhodes.com; it's a big part of why 90% of talk radio is conservative despite good voter turnouts for Gore/Kerry/Obama since 2000; www.bradblog.com can explain to you why Gore & Kerry actually won, though a Pulitzer-winning book from Miami FL covers Bush v. Gore more thoroughly. Washington DC and South Florida have no liberal talk show stations despite voting rolls ranging from slim majority to near-consensus. To quote Noam Chomsky, what free market? This was before the Keith/Rachel/Lawrence juggernaut at MSNBC, right after Phil Donahue was fired for telling the truth about the illegal wars despite good ratings.

[Gregory Fleming]

01:35 AM on 11/25/2010

I don't care if this senator supports every other cause I believe in. He just crossed that line that too many senators have shown the arrogance to cross. If anything, the FCC should be disbanded, because power mongers like Senator Rockefeller view it as a mechanism to control what people say in this country. I would write in a candidate before I'd vote for this man. If you don't like those channels, don't watch them. The First Amendment is the most precious thing we have in this country and it was designed to protect US citizens against people like you, Senator.

[Charles Shackelford]

04:02 PM on 11/27/2010

You are correct in your commentary. Even if well intentioned, government officials have no right to intrude into the affairs of the media.

[vinctee]

04:52 PM on 11/23/2010

The two outlets are not the same. MSNBC is very biased. They do not tell ALL of the truth, just what they like. Fox is also biased, but they rarely tell anything that is true.

[Charles Shackelford]

04:00 PM on 11/27/2010

You are right and you are wrong. They are not the same but MSNBC is much less biased with the exception of its clearly stated bias in say airing Keith and Rachel but viewers can choose to listen to the other personalities such as Joe Scarborough. FOX is unified in its various formats with occasional "liberal" guests who are usually grilled and with Bill "The Buffoon" O'Reilly have their microphones cut off. I personally think MSNBC tells more of the truth even if some of the personalities choose not to air all of it, for various reasons including the fact that many "facts" are already abundantly posted in the corporate media of today.

[1947]

11:16 PM on 11/22/2010

Mr. Rockefeller you are of a small mind. Are you speaking for the people of the United States concerning MSNBC and FOX ..... ? You're just an OLD MAN .....

[allengoldchain]

06:33 PM on 11/22/2010

Rockefeller is wrong in his comment. Both networks have the right exist. Freedom of speech gives liberals the right to their opinions as it gives conservative the right to theirs. as for radio liberals had Air America but unfortunately since they were unable to manage their finances and weren't getting a lot of listeners, they had to shutdown. Don't blame Fox and Limbaugh for that; blame the liberals running Air America.

To be fair, all voices that want to be heard are given that opportunity in this country. What you perceive as false may be true for others and vise versa. So with that, liberals have their MSNBC and conservatives can have their FOX. Both sides cater to their base.

Freedom of speech is something that should not be restricted just to liberals or just to conservatives views. I might not agree on what you say or how a liberal view things but I don't think it is right to shut down someone's voice I they are simply practicing their constitutional rights.

This is a topic that we should all not entertain, period

[Grannyover70]

04:45 PM on 11/22/2010

It is implausible to compare FOX with MSNBC. Also, why are they leaving Rush Limbaugh, Michelle Malkin, Ann Coulter, Oliver North, etc out of their plan to get people off the air?
For years the Righ-wing has ran amuck, reviling everyone with no truths, lies, insinuations
and there was no one anywhere calling them out on it on the air. If you were able to
once in a while get a more moderate person on, the powers that be in the industry
got them thrown off. MSNBC does not make things up, especially like Glen Beck does.
I think the Democratic Senators should be embracing and talking to MSNBC because
they are the channel that has their backs and they don't know it. The people on MSNBC will
criticize Democratic office holders when need be. That is the difference between MSNBC and FOX. Fox is wholly in the thralls of the Republican Party, or vise versa, I go back and forth
on this one. The Democratic Party needs to pay attention to what is being said and think about it instead of getting their hackles up. It is sort of like your Dad giving you advice and you resent it instead of taking heed. I contend MSNBC represents the Democratic base and that base has always had a lot to say. Jay Rockefeller needs to meditate for awhile.

[allengoldchain]

06:27 PM on 11/22/2010

Well to answer your question as to why is quite simple... Freedom of speech gives both sides the right to exist in this country. We aren't China.

[Dave Adelberg]

12:15 PM on 11/22/2010

Get real; All of you defending Fox News; You are clearly incapable of discerning the truth. You are so blinded by your hatred of President Obama, nothing anyone can say will persuade you put the country ahead of it. Beck and his coherts are Republicans, dah, They began their hateful ways as soon as the president got elected and haven't stopped. They, like you, know president Obama is probably the smartest and most profoundly sincere President since Lincoln, yet, you guys, Fox Lovers; would rather lose a limb than allow an upity black man to tell you what every decent person already knows.

[Gary Garza]

08:34 PM on 11/22/2010

Hey tinkerbell go refresh your Mimosa! I'm with AllGoldChain...I don't like Obama he's a Puppet just like Georgie Bush was..I want a real conservative no bullcrap President in the Whitehouse! Vote out incumbent spendaholics...I had Healthcare through the late 90's...then we hit 2000 and it all goes to hell in a handbasket because of the DOTCOM FIASCO...NEXT WAR>>>NEXT SUBPRIME LOANS>>>NEXT OBAMACARE and STIMULUS 4!!!BEWARE!!LAST NAIL IN COFFIN!!4 more years of the smartest man in the world!!!LOL!!!I'm sorry that's just too funny! And I am profoundly sincere when I say that!!!

[massai]

10:22 AM on 11/22/2010

Umm,. here we go with another false equivalency. MSNBC is not run by hate mongers (ailes) who were trained by hate mongers (Lee Atwater, see "Willie" Horton, 1988). Otherwise, I agree with curtailing Fox's propoganda mill.

[Billar]

09:31 AM on 11/22/2010

Jay should pay more attention to mining safety since West Virginia is a coal mining state.

[Billar]

09:30 AM on 11/22/2010

Jay is one of the fastest DINO's to run on Fox Noise. I think Hillary is a distant second.

[dzrlib]

07:15 PM on 11/21/2010

What planet is Rockerfeller from ?... comparing the lies and distortions on Faux News with
the rational observations on MSNBC is absurd.

[american75]

07:25 AM on 11/22/2010

Who the H?ll is he to decide that for any of us? This is America, not Cuba. If I want to watch Fox, I should be able to. Same with MSNBC. I DON'T NEED THE GOVERNMENT TELLING ME WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT WATCH

[MacQ]

06:42 PM on 11/21/2010

One can only suppose that those who post here in favor of the government shutting people up, fining them, taking away their citizenship have no idea that when you cedde free speech for one, you give it up for all (yours will follow).

I can only assume these are the rants of lemmings who have taken up the president's war on Fox. No one has been able to give me one example of the "blatant lies" they have supposedly told. I can think of several the president has, though. What should the FCC do about that?

[simpson20]

03:31 PM on 11/21/2010

It seems like many people here love cable news networks a lot. They're defending them like they own their parent company's stock. May be they do.

[american75]

07:30 AM on 11/22/2010

nO, MAYBE WE BELIEVE WE AREGROWN UP ENOUGH TO DECIDE FOR OURSELVES. I don't like MSBC. Iove Fox. But you know what? A government shutdown would be an atrocity and an intrusion on our freedoms as americans, both conservative and liberal

[Sarijj]

10:10 AM on 11/24/2010

I agree with you, though I do not like Fox. Both have the right to be on the air. Just wish Fox pundits would tone down the hate and fear mongering. But if you want to watch this, I will defend your right to do so.

[simpson20]

03:22 PM on 11/21/2010

People became so polarized and got addicted to these news networks and networks are taking advantage of this.

Only around 10 mil watch cable news every day out of 300 mil so it doesn't effect much unless they promote a social movement. Too late Fox news already did this, it's called Tea party. So may be changing the channel is not the correct solution.

[Noland]

02:13 PM on 11/21/2010

Hey Mr. Rockefeller, it's really quite simple. If you don't like MSNBC or FNC, don't watch them. Nevertheless, if you really want to put your (pampered and lofty) ideology to the test then start with Clear Channel and Rush Limbaugh. The fecal matter that comes out of that man's blow hole now that, you have the power to and should do something about.

BTW, since you apparently don't have a clue, MSNBC is NOT the polar opposite of nor the moral equivalent of FNC. MSNBC may have plenty of opinion-oriented personality shows; however, they do have the moral prudence to limit their opinions within the realm of facts. This is a far cry from the idiots at FOX which includes the owner of NewsCorps and its GM. The ‘entertainers’ there do shows purely for ratings with batsiht-crazy-bombastic and racially motivated conjecture. The two are not even remotely comparable.

[Gary Garza]

02:38 AM on 11/22/2010

MSNBC is Prudent!LOL!...Ha ha ha! A-La-Olberman-Maddows and Matthews...Oh geez give me a break! They are no different than Fox! When I read the bottom half of your post I laughed so hard I pooped a little! Wake up and smell the drive by media!!

[Grannyover70]

04:50 PM on 11/22/2010

Yes, they are different. They asnwer FOX, criticize people and sets out to destroy them
BUT MSNBC DOES NOT DELIBERATELY SET OUT TO DESTROY SOMEONE BY FALSEHOODS. Glen Beck admits FOX is an entertainment channel and it has nothing to do with politics.I assume he means it has to do with the money it brings in with the very hyped up stories.