The FCC Voted: Time to Raise Hell

Today, Bush-appointed Federal Communications Commission Chairman Kevin Martin rammed through a 3-2 partisan vote to remove the longstanding "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership" ban that prohibits a local newspaper from owning TV and radio stations in the same market. Witness yet another shining moment: the Bush administration serving up a wholesale giveaway to the largest media corporations in the most corrupt process imaginable.

Let's go with that for a moment.....

Imagine that you are the Chairman of the FCC, with its congressional mandate to protect localism, diversity and the public interest. You are witnessing the wholesale consolidation of radio triggered by a bad law passed in 1996. You've seen the disappearance of over one third of independently owned television station owners and over two thirds of independently owned radio station owners since 1975. You're watching racial and ethnic minority ownership of TV and radio slip to 3% and 8% respectively. You're watching consolidated, corporate media churn out the kind of "faux-journalism" that we saw in the run-up to the war in Iraq, and that we're continuing to see on nearly every commercial television newscast: the place where 70% of Americans get their news about the nation and the world.

Imagine that under intense pressure, you begrudgingly agree to six public hearings across the country to listen to the American people so that they can guide your decision. Imagine some 99% of the people passionately implore that you not let media companies get any bigger. Imagine it's 11 p.m., you're seven hours into the hearing, and there's so many people waiting to give their two-minute testimony that you still have another two hours of testimony to go. Imagine that nearly all of the empirical data released during your deliberation shows that further consolidation damages the principles of "localism" and "diversity" that the FCC was founded in 1934 to protect. Imagine being hauled up in front of the U.S. Congress twice in the past week, only to be berated by members of both parties, imploring you not to proceed.

Welcome to Kevin Martin's world. A world in which the only possible, rational reason to vote for consolidation is to corruptly do the bidding of the largest media companies, with their campaign contributions and high-powered lobbyists that have greased the wheels of Washington for time immemorial.

There is a simple elegance to all of this. The administration is so corrupt, so completely willing to sacrifice the needs of regular Americans and democratic discourse itself, that virtually no amount of reason, ethics, or rationality is required.

Brace yourself. Today's vote - if Congress doesn't overturn it - means more coverage of Paris Hilton's latest drunken binge and less government and corporate accountability in the U.S. media. If that's cool with you, have another beer and turn the page. If it's not, go to StopBigMedia.com and raise holy hell.

Comments

[PuffDragon]

Mr. Martin sent his Op-ed to the New York Times, advocating "relaxed" ownership rules days before the public hearings had been completed. In other words, he had already made up is mind, and no amount of "facts" or public opinion was going to change it.

Sound familiar?

[guru75]

It was clear to anyone watching that Kevin Martin showed nothing but contempt for congress and the will of the people - merely following the pattern of the President and Vice President. One can only speculate on the high paying position Martin will take when he leaves the FCC - maybe heading up one of Foxy Murdock's companies. So sad, and so disgusting, this blantent selling of American resources. Where is America? A lot of silence as they tsk tsk over the pregnancy of a teen age tv star.

[annorton]

In a democracy the people get what they deserve!
Our citizens got what they deserved.
The election was stolen in 2000.
No response..­....
We went to war. Shock and Awe.
The world demonstrated but not America.
No real response..­....
Again the election was stolen in 2004.
No real response about Ohio's voting machines..­...
Now we will truly get no response for partisan
press will support this President's propoganda efforts of Martin the Magnificent!!!!!!!
Signing petitions,­contacting Congressman?????
I am tired of it. It does nothing.
I guess I can now count myself as an American who will what she deserves!

[boomerbabe]

Why are we not surprised? The newspapers are not giving this any press. Hardly anyone knows.
I have been watching the coverage and I am just incredulous at the response of the chairman of the FCC.. Like all the other Bush flunkies , he looks like he's eleven years old and has no understanding of what he is doing.. He probably doesn't know what the Missle crisis was either. He was appointed to do what he was told. He looks terrified.­. It looks like Congress and all the concerned citizens just can't believe things have gotten so bad.. Is there any surprise after the demise of the Wall Street Journal?
I am so personally mortified to be led by such a bunch of ingnorant hooligans. Is Bush really that different from Putin?

[Ironfox]

9:55 PM and only 58 comments, are Americans brain dead. This is a crucial issue where is everybody? Have you all been so beaten down and co-opted that you no longer care? For gods sake get angry or they win.

[Ironfox]

"Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky depict how an underlying elite consensus largely structures all facets of the news...The­y reveal how issues are framed and topics chosen...T­hey explore how Watergate and Iran-contra hearings manifest not an excess but a lack of investigative zeal into the accumulating illegalities of the executive branch."

Herman and Chomsky published MANUFACTURING CONSENT (The Political Economy of the Mass Media) in 1988, twenty bloody years ago people. For two decades Chomsky has been warning about the dangers of media concentration. He has been consistently berated and dismissed as a radical and Left Wing nutcase,un­officially censored and kept off mainstream American media.(eve­n PBS) I wonder why?

The contemporary outrage expressed here would be humourous if it was not so dangerous.

[Ironfox]

"Edward Herman and Noam Chomsky depict how an underlying elite consensus largely structures all the facets of the news...The­y reveal how issues are framed and topics chosen...T­hey explore how the Watergate and Iran-contra hearings manifest not an excess but a lack of investigative zeal into the accumulating illegalities of the executive branch."

Chompsky and Herman published MANUFACTURING CONSENT (The political economy of the mass media) in 1988, twenty bloody years ago people. Chompsky has continued to warn about the dangers of media concentration.

After two decades of warning this contemporary outrage would be amusing if the situation was not so dangerous.

[montestruc]

I fail to see why this is a big deal. It was unreasonable to require radio or TV stations to have licenses anyway, it is IMHO a violation of the first amendment. Anyone should be able to build a radio or TV transmitter and operate it on an unused frequency and homestead that location and frequency. In the 1920s the courts had already started to use that logic in disputes between radio stations and then big brother stepped in and dictated you had to get a federal license to broadcast.

First amendment anyone?

[FOXYLADY]

WHAT THE HECK ELSE IS NEW??? HOW MUCH MORE BULL CRAP AND WHEELING AND DEALING WILL TAKE PLACE BEFORE THIS HYPOCRITE BUSH IS GONE

[Janco54]

I think Mr. Martin has been fully informed about the plan for martial law being implemented prior to next November's elections, and the consolidation of media is a huge part of making it work.
When they have control of the media they have the ultimate control.
All of the new things coming out recently are not scaring them one bit.
They're not leaving in January 2009.
Get ready. It's 1984.

[Galvestonians for Dr. Ron Paul]

Mr Martin thinks by doing this deed for the MSM, he has just secured a spot in the N. Carolina governors mansion, after he steps down at the FCC!...

I think the people of N. Carolina have other plans for him!

[Pete Ross]

An informed public is essential in a democracy.

With the consolidation of media controlled by the government we no longer have the possibility of a truly informed citizenry.

The final step for a fascist takeover of government.

[RS]

Rupert Murdoch = Joseph Goebbels II

[peterg76]

Even the old Soviets were more subtle than this (and their economy consisted entirely of monopolies).

[avergejoe]

Where was wexler?

He said he was going to pursue a 'democratic agenda'?