FCC Rocks Chicago, Chicago Rocks Back

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• Reader Comments (2)

  Page 1 of 1 pages

  “After the Telecommunications Act of 1996 deregulated radio ownership, media giants gobbled up their smaller counterparts, which, according to the FCC’s own data, has transferred control of the airwaves into the hands of a powerful few.”

  The exact point of the law. Damn Bill Clinton for signing it.

  “Congress created the FCC in 1934 to ensure that media companies act as “public trustees,” serving the needs and interests of the local community as a form of payment for their free access to public airwaves. But, as Copps said during his opening statements at the Chicago hearing, “for the past 25 years, the FCC has been asleep at the switch.” “

  No, “asleep at the switch” is too soft, as though they were merely incompetent instead of complicitous in the gathering of more and more media control into fewer and fewer hands.

  “This isn’t news to the FCC, which reported in 1995 that steps needed to be taken to correct the race and gender imbalance in media ownership.”

  Smokescreen. By hauling out everybody’s favorite issues to clamor about, the Big Media “trust” could still develop with little public awareness or interest, as long as their most powerful elements threw us bones by appearing more “sensitive” to gender and race issues. A tactic of distraction that unfortunately worked too well.

  “The latest FCC proposal, crafted by Chairman Martin, would make a bad situation worse. The provision aims to allow one company to run the major daily newspaper, eight radio stations and up to 18 television stations in the same market by the time the “digital transition” is completed in 2009.”

  This is more the meat of the matter. This sort of trend is most especially distressing in the area of journalism and news reporting. When just a few organizations control what is investigated, what is reported, and who gets to deliver their message to the public, journalistic integrity is bound to go right out the door.

  “Chairman Martin, who met with executives from the Chicago Tribune on his way to the hearing, doesn’t seem eager to put any obstacles in the way of big media.”

  That’s Big Media. And why would he? The faction that includes them, employs him.

  Some sort of anti-trust law has got to be brought to bear. The sad thing is, too many people will not give a damn, as long as they are entertained and people of the demographic they personally identify with are portrayed in a semi-complimentary, “sensitive” fashion. Lulled into complacency, while the information, commentary, and news reporting that would enable them to make the kind of informed decisions that a citizen in a democratic republic ought to be able to make is filtered through a small clutch of corporate Boards’ perceptions of the best way to increase market-share.

  Diabolical in its subtlety, I must admit. They’re masters of mass psychology. Very formidable foes.

  Posted by Kuya on Oct 10, 2007 at 8:36 AM

  Jessica,  I do some work with NAB and I followed the Chicago hearing pretty closely.  I agree with you that minority ownership needs to be address. 

  But I think free competition is equally important because it keeps the debate current and vibrant.  I think we can keep both of these ideals strong.

  There was a good column in the Tribune from the Illinois Broadcaster Assoc. pres laying out some ideas.  He noted that broadcasters have asked Congress to revive a dormant program giving tax credits and benefits to stations that sell properties to women and minorities.  The program has worked in the past and can work in the future.

  Here’s the column if you’re interested: http://www.chicagotribune.com/services/newspaper/printedition/tuesday/chi-oped09 918broadcasterssep18,0,6268536.story

  Posted by Chinook on Oct 10, 2007 at 10:47 PM

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