The Big Dog - FCC forgot basic fact: They're our airwaves

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

By Bill Clinton
New York Daily News




"It's your money," says President Bush when he promotes tax cuts. I disagree with his tax policy but admire his spin. The same argument applies with greater force to whether big media conglomerates should be allowed to control more television and radio stations: "It's your airwaves."
The American people own the bandwidth that broadcast media companies use to deliver programs to our TVs and radios. Because the space on that bandwidth is limited, the Federal Communications Commission regulates who has access to our eyes and ears.

For more than 60 years, the FCC allowed companies to own a number of local TV stations, provided that no single company owned enough to reach more than 35 percent of the population of the United States.

But on June 2, by a 3-2 vote, the FCC raised the limit to 45 percent, giving big media firms the chance to gobble up many more local TV stations. In fact, a single giant corporation will be able to control up to three of the television stations in America's nine largest cities.

The FCC also opened the door to local TV-newspaper mergers in many places, so you'll be getting your news and information from the same company regardless of whether you're turning on the TV or opening the newspaper.

-more-

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/opinion/135177785_clinton07.html

[wtmusic]

1. Yeah, it sucks

the commerce department turned up the heat big time on chair Michael Powell to push this thing through, though commission members Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein were deadset against it.

If you like where radio is at today, you'll love TV in five years!

[juajen]

2. Thanks so much for posting this!

Guess I'll me writing more letters. Go Big Dog!

[LiberalLibra]

3. Again The Big Dog gets it right!!! I love The Big Dog!!

We miss you President Clinton!!

[IrateCitizen]

4. More "advocacy" from fmr. President Clinton

While I agree with what he has said here, I think it's important to point out that he was in favor of the 1996 telecommunications bill that started us down this path. You know, the one that led to Clear Channel owning every f***ing radio station on your dial. The one that led to Rush Windbag and Sean Insanity being the "balanced political voices" on AM talk.

Like so many other things, Clinton is full of grand rhetoric on this issue. However, his past actions on it say something else. Of course, it did help the DNC secure millions of dollars in soft money from the telecom industry.... :eyes:

I'm not trying to be a "Clinton basher" here, but it is important to take his newfound advocacy of this issue in proper context.

[jos]

5. Yes

Of course Clinton is too smart to have forgotten that he signed that bill. So it must be another example of him failing to take "personal responsibility."

[ProfessorPlum]

6. I've never understood

his support of that bill. He must have forseen that as companies got bigger and bigger, more powerful, and more conservative, they would be out to get him. By 1996 he more than anyone else had to understand the dangers of big media gone awry. It is one of my "big five" policy decisions on which I disagree with him.

Why do you think he did it?

[jos]

7. Money and DLC ideology

By signing the bill, he assured that he and the Democrats would be rewarded by the telecom companies.

And it burnished his neo-liberal, DLC, deregulation credentials. After all, it was Clinton who said several months later at his second inaguration that the "era of big government is over." A Republican could not have said it any better.

[Big Questions]

8. RM

The thought of Ruport Murdoch (sp?) owning even more media outlets is indeed frightening.