I would like to propose a different media business model

[burythehatchet]

A community cooperative corporation. A non-profit, publicly traded company that assembles a news organization akin to what CNN was 20 years ago. But with more real news, real discussion, real debate. And, it will be completely free of corporate influence and control.

Ownership in the company would be limited to a prescribed number of shares. Share holdings will be widely dispersed amongst millions of citizen shareholders. Directors are elected each year by the shareholders. All financial information is public including salaries and other compensation.

This is sort of a hybrid between NPR, RFA, and a kind of association. It would own radio TV print and web outlets. All non-profit.

Who wants to dream with with me? Would you buy 10 shares for $100?

[wtmusic]

1. Why would anyone buy shares if it's a non-profit?

Zero investment value

[burythehatchet]

2. Shares is the wrong word. An ownership interest

is more accurate. It would give you the ability to vote in the organizations affairs.

[Robbien]

3. Its a beautiful dream

But dream it is. A big problem is that there is no one umbrella under which to organize such a group. There are so many different alternative media sites on the web and I have often thought if they all could get together they would be a powerful force.

[Selatius]

4. What you need is a subscription based news channel

If you want a piece of the action, you pay a monthly fee for it, which goes to day-to-day operations. This is why HBO, for instance, doesn't have commercials every 15 minutes like FOX because they're subsidized by viewers, not commercial businesses. Like your model, however, each paying viewer would have a say in how the organization is run from the electing of directors and managers to issues covered. No time would be used up by commercial advertising.

If you can get 20,000,000 subscribers and charge them $15.00 a month, you have monthly operating revenue of $300,000,000. Extra revenue could be returned back to subscribers in the form of refunds or kept in a fund to be used later. It depends on what the subscribers decide collectively.

Whether or not this news channel should be broadcast nationwide to those who do not pay is another question, but if the point is to spread some real truths, then it is worth discussion.

[InvisibleBallots]

5. sound like a Credit Union

or a labor union organization. Why not a Media Union as well?

An easier way to do this - leverage the existing organizations. Why not get the AFLCIO and ACLU and a few other groups to buy a tv network?

[burythehatchet]

6. that's a fair charaterization

The Media Union.

[Blue Wally]

7. Remember the furor......

Some years back, before there was much cable, there was a movement by the Christian Right to have its members encouraged from the pulpit to buy as many shares in CBS as they could afford on the open market. The rallying cry was "become Dan Rather's boss!!". The media outrage at the suggestion was overwhelming.