Democrats, if they regain power, need to investigate these large media monopolies...

[kentuck]

...and use our anti-trust laws to break them up.

The reason we are getting people like Kimmel and Colbert fired is because these big media operations want favors from the government so they can become even more wealthy and powerful than they are at present.

Their primary motive is their bottom line. They are not loyal to anything or anyone else. They are a threat to our First Amendment and, in effect, a national security risk.

They rush to contribute money and to kiss the ass of Donald Trump, because he will give them what they are looking for.

The American people should have no fear of the "liberal media". That is just a term created by the conservative media to distract the people from the truth. When media operations such as Sinclair and Nexstar own about 80% of all local affiliates in the country, we have a problem.

They need to be de-monopolized.

[a kennedy]

1. YES, YES, YES!!!!!

[Passages]

2. We are here today due to the Telecom Act 1996.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 Killed Local Radio

35000 Watts :: The Story of College Radio
https://www.35000watts.com › the-telecommunications-...
Feb 22, 2022 — The actual result of the Act was a flurry of mergers and acquisitions as corporate media giants bought out small, local broadcasters.

[MichMan]

8. Wonder why Bill Clinton signed it?

[kentuck]

9. He was under duress from all the investigations from the Repubs...

He was trying to work with them, in my opinion, to try and get them off his back.

[MichMan]

13. Passed the House 414-16 and the Senate 91-5

Seems like it was widely popular with both parties. Weird


https://clerk.house.gov/evs/1996/roll025.xml

https://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_votes/vote1042/vote_104_2_00008.htm?congress=104&session=2&vote=00008

[Passages]

16. I don't know. I have never heard him express regret.

The act dramatically reduced FCC regulations on cross-ownership. It allowed giant corporations to acquire thousands of media outlets across the country, increasing their monopoly on the flow of information in the U.S.

[SSJVegeta]

3. If they can, they need to reverse every horrible policy by Republicans since Reagan

...including his horrendous tax cuts. As quickly as humanly possible. Impeach supreme court jsutices (if they can), impeach and remove trump (if they can) and all officials who have enabled him.

If they can.

[kentuck]

5. Yes, they could start with the tax laws...

All those billionaires that sucked up to Trump, need to pay the price.

They should be taxed at a much higher rate than nothing. Which is what a lot of them pay. Nothing.

They were quick to betray our country and to get behind the tyrant.

We have all seen their true colors.

[SSJVegeta]

17. Yup! And putting the highest marginal tax rate back to what it was under JFK would be nice

[NCDem47]

4. 2025 was a stress test...

And it looks like things are falling apart overall.

Constant mergers and acquisitions to get bigger and more dominate (by billionaires and corporate dreck) that can only get by with a bribe or “favor” to the Orange One.

[SocialDemocrat61]

6. Bring back the old rules

Reagan started the de-regulation of the media in the 80s. Before that media companies were limited to ownership of 5 TV stations and 5 radio stations. One company could not own a TV and radio station in the same market, unless grandfathered. If a company owned a newspaper in a market it could not own a radio or TV station, again unless grandfathered. This limited one companies influence and encouraged a diversity of ideas.

[kwolf68]

7. Should have been on this way before now

This should have been a priority from the start.

Republicans played this masterfully to fully erode the media

--starting in the 1980s, scream and yell "Liberal bias" whenever story/information comes out hostile to Republican narrative
--Write books on subject, employ right wing think tanks to foster a narrative
--Create right wing media to continue to blather about left wing media (Limbaugh, etc)
--Find right wing oligarch to create "fair and balanced" news, or otherwise right-wing propaganda
--Allow media consolidation, reducing variance in views. "View" is the key, gone is actual news information, rather "perspective" and click bait shit
--Allow cross ownership. Let capitalist oligarchs own not only their own companies, but then the media centers as well, the media thus becomes a form of advertisement for company. Where will that end up?
--Install authoritarian into white house to continue the purge of "Liberal media". Media even considered benign (CNN) will be neutralized.
--Ultimate goal is elimination of any perceived Liberal bias in any part of our society. Media, schools, companies, Youtube, you name it.

It won't be easy to undo this bullshit.

[NCDem47]

11. Future D Prez jus signs an executive order.

Seems to be all the rage today.

Wait, SC will block that and change their tune that (Democraic) Prez doesn’t have the authority—-for ANYTHING.

[Mysterian]

10. Absolutely should be a priority

https://www.freepress.net/who-owns-media

[Wednesdays]

12. Monopoly.

You know the game of Monopoly is an old game, because there's a "luxury tax" and that rich people can go to jail.

[keep_left]

14. There was a radio show years ago called "Media Matters"...

...hosted by the late UIUC professor Robert McChesney. It was one of the first shows that I recall also being available as a podcast. IIRC, one of the shows was a speech by McChesney on the history of the mass media, including the experience of the Allied forces in the aftermath of WWII. One of the first things that was done in the postwar period was to break up the huge media monopolies which had been allowed to accumulate, both in Europe and Japan.

McChesney discussed post-WWII history; how one of the first things the Allies did was break up the media monopolies of the Axis powers, arguing that media concentration aids and abets fascism. He further argued that we need a taste of our own medicine. And in fact, we used to have some pretty good laws and regulations about media concentration, most of which have been repealed.

https://democraticunderground.com/100216847049#post3

[Queso Delicioso]

15. Absolutely need the return of the trust-buster.

But then, the money will -always- protect itself.

[TheProle]

18. NYT: Larry Ellison, a Media Mogul Like No Other

The database billionaire and his son, David, are Trump favorites. The family could soon control an empire that includes CBS, Paramount, Warner, CNN and a piece of TikTok.

TikTok is just one part of the rapidly expanding Ellison family media portfolio. Mr. Ellison’s son, David, who recently secured an $8 billion deal for Paramount and CBS and is busy putting his own stamp on them, is widely reported to be preparing a much bigger bid for Warner, which includes CNN.

At any other time, the regulatory hurdles to owning TikTok, CBS and CNN along with a major swath of Hollywood would have been insurmountable. This is a decidedly different era, where being in the good graces of Mr. Trump counts for a great deal. The president said in January that he would like Elon Musk, then a close adviser, or Mr. Ellison to buy TikTok.

Powerful families have owned influential chunks of American media in the last century, but their reach was often limited by geography or other factors. The Chandler family, owners of The Los Angeles Times, held sway in Southern California for decades, but had little power elsewhere. Rupert Murdoch owns Fox and The Wall Street Journal, but their editorial missions do not entirely overlap.

In the digital era, the constraints are dissolving.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/23/technology/larry-ellison-oracle-tiktok.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oE8.pwLw.ZWFL46J67jIf&smid=url-share

[Iris]

19. Write a fairness doctrine to meet 21st century needs