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Bill Moyers: FCC Moves Towards More Media Consolidation
FCC Moves Towards More Media Consolidation
December 3, 2012
by Bill Moyers
The Federal Communications Commission is set to vote to relax a longstanding ban that prevents one company from owning radio and television stations and newspapers in the same city — a move that activists are calling a giant Christmas present to Rupert Murdoch. The media titan has floated the idea of buying The Chicago Tribune and The Los Angeles Times, the dominant papers in cities where he already owns TV stations. What’s worse, the FCC is operating behind closed doors, rather than inviting public comment on the issue.
So Craig Aaron, president and CEO of Free Press, is asking people to speak out — by signing a petition, writing an editorial and calling congressmen. Aaron and his organization have been among those leading the charge against increased media monopolization. Similar attempts to change ownership rules were thwarted in 2003 and 2007. Earlier today, Bill Moyers caught up with Aaron via Skype to learn more about the current proposal and what viewers can do to help stop it.
Bill Moyers: Craig Aaron, tell us what you know about this FCC ruling that’s under consideration?
Craig Aaron: Well, what I know is that, according to all trade reports, the Federal Communications Commission is considering moving very quickly to get rid of longstanding limits on how much media one company can own in a town. And if they go with the plan that they’re currently considering, it would open the door to one company owning the daily newspaper, two television stations, eight radio stations, possibly even your internet service provider — all in one community. These are the exact same rules that are preventing someone like Rupert Murdoch of Fox News from owning The Chicago Tribune or owning The Los Angeles Times. If these rules go away, suddenly deals like that become possible.
Moyers: Why the rush?
Aaron: I have no idea, to be honest, Bill. These are rules that they have tried to push through in the past, back in 2003, again in 2007, and it has failed at every turn. It simply has not gone through. It’s been thrown out by the courts, rejected by Congress, and all of the sudden at the tail end of Obama’s first term, we’re seeing it again. ...................(more)
The complete piece is at: http://billmoyers.com/2012/12/03/fcc-moves-towards-more-media-consolidation/
14 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
The people are restless, so the media grab is necessary.
After a solid year of campaigning that dominated the airwaves, Print Media, AND the Internet,
what is significant are the Important Issues that did NOT get mentioned or discussed in the National Media,
or by either Political Party.
*The Very Expensive and Failed War on Drugs
(A few states WERE successfully able to breakthrough the Media and Party blackout on this issue as far as using MJ was concerned,
but the monumental ongoing national failure of the War on Drugs was never discussed.)
*The Expansion of the perpetual "War Time" Powers of the Unitary Executive for a War on a Word.
When "Terror" is finally defeated, will the Unitary Executive surrender these new supra-Constitutional Powers?
*The NDAA, The Patriot Act, The Homeland Security Dept, and the growing Surveillance/Police State
*The Privatization, Militarization and National Co-Ordination of local Police Departments
*The growing Private Prison Industrial Complex
*The War in Afghanistan (superficially mentioned in one debate, basically glossed over)
*The Expansion of the War on Terror and US Military operations in other sovereign countries
*The destruction of America's Working Class due to unregulated International Trade (so called "Free Trade"
*The ongoing Privatization of our Public Schools
*The ongoing Privatization of everything else
*The Privatization of our Vote Counting and Election Reporting mechanisms
(Voter Suppression WAS a topic, but not the lack of transparency and accountability of the elections themselves)
*A remedy for "Too-Big-to-Fail" (can't believe THIS was NEVER mentioned)
*The Environment & Global Climate Change
*An HONEST discussion of Wealth Disparity, and the widening gap.
(a 3.5% increase on the Top Bracket is NOT going to change anything
but does make for good Kabuki Theater.)
Our Media has become monolithic and so easy to control by TPTB that important issues that affect our daily life and basic democracy can be eliminated from the Public Debate and Public Consciousness as long as BOTH dominant Political Parties AGREE.
[font size=4]Hahahahahahahahahaha![/font]
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]
After a solid year of campaigning that dominated the airwaves, Print Media, AND the Internet,
what is significant are the Important Issues that did NOT get mentioned or discussed in the National Media,
or by either Political Party.
*The Very Expensive and Failed War on Drugs
(A few states WERE successfully able to breakthrough the Media and Party blackout on this issue as far as using MJ was concerned,
but the monumental ongoing national failure of the War on Drugs was never discussed.)
*The Expansion of the perpetual "War Time" Powers of the Unitary Executive for a War on a Word.
When "Terror" is finally defeated, will the Unitary Executive surrender these new supra-Constitutional Powers?
*The NDAA, The Patriot Act, The Homeland Security Dept, and the growing Surveillance/Police State
*The Privatization, Militarization and National Co-Ordination of local Police Departments
*The growing Private Prison Industrial Complex
*The War in Afghanistan (superficially mentioned in one debate, basically glossed over)
*The Expansion of the War on Terror and US Military operations in other sovereign countries
*The destruction of America's Working Class due to unregulated International Trade (so called "Free Trade"
*The ongoing Privatization of our Public Schools
*The ongoing Privatization of everything else
*The Privatization of our Vote Counting and Election Reporting mechanisms
(Voter Suppression WAS a topic, but not the lack of transparency and accountability of the elections themselves)
*A remedy for "Too-Big-to-Fail" (can't believe THIS was NEVER mentioned)
*The Environment & Global Climate Change
*An HONEST discussion of Wealth Disparity, and the widening gap.
(a 3.5% increase on the Top Bracket is NOT going to change anything
but does make for good Kabuki Theater.)
Our Media has become monolithic and so easy to control by TPTB that important issues that affect our daily life and basic democracy can be eliminated from the Public Debate and Public Consciousness as long as BOTH dominant Political Parties AGREE.
[font size=4]Hahahahahahahahahaha![/font]
You will know them by their WORKS,
not by their rhetoric, promises, or excuses.
[font size=5 color=green]Solidarity99![/font][font size=2 color=green]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------[/center]
