Propaganda Bureau Expands: If Enough Sources Repeat the Big Lie, It Starts to Sound True

[McCamy Taylor]

After you watch the Bill Moyer interview with Keith Olbermann be sure to spend an extra ten minutes on the next story. The FCC is up to its old carrot/stick games again, just in time for the 2008 elections. This time it is offering carrots to NewsCorp and the Tribune Co. over the objections of the American public and Congress (Republicans as well as Democrats).

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is fast tracking a plan to allow the nation's biggest media conglomerates to own multiple newspapers as well as television stations and radios in the nation's biggest cities. This is a great Christmas present for NewsCorp, which just bought the Wall Street Journal and now owns several New York media properties. NewsCorp has already announced its intention to remodel the WSJ into a pseudo NYT in an effort to drive the newspaper of record out of business. (More likely, the WSJ will go down the toilet).

http://www.reuters.com/article/innovationNews/idUSN1842923220071018

Democratic FCC Commissioner Michael Copps has called for examination of whether News Corp's (NWSa.N: Quote, Profile, Research) proposed buyout of Wall Street Journal owner Dow Jones & Co (DJ.N: Quote, Profile, Research) would run afoul of ownership rules.

Dream on, Mr. Copps. This is the Bush administration. If Rupert Murdoch says "jump", Kevin Martin says "off what bridge?".

Another reason for the rush---despite overwhelming public opinion against the media rule change, Martin and the Republicans on the committee plan to relax ownership rules on December 18---is because billionaire Republican (and big time political donor) Sam Zell just bought the Tribune Company. The company is out of compliance with media ownership laws. The previous owner was able to grandfather in the extra holdings. The new buyer, Zell, does not have that option, as he knew when he made the purchase.

http://www.portfolio.com/news-markets/top-5/2007/11/28/Zell-Gets-Tribune-Waiver

Sam Zell, the colorful billionaire investor, is trying to take the Tribune Company private in a complex, $8.2 billion financial arrangement with tough regulatory hurdles and looming deadlines.

But on Wednesday, Kevin Martin, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, made it known that his top priority is helping Zell get the deal done. Martin submitted a proposal to the commission that would grant the Tribune Company the necessary temporary waivers from F.C.C. regulations to finalize the deal by its December 31 deadline.

snip

Martin plans to put to a vote a broad media cross-ownership rule—one that would apply to the entire industry—at the commission's December 18 meeting. If everything goes according to Martin's plan, the proposal will sail through the voting process on December 18, making it okay for Tribune—and any other media conglomerate—to own multiple media properties in the 20 biggest metropolitan markets.

Another link about the same story, its source is The Tribune Co.'s own Chicago Tribune:

http://www.freepress.net/news/28601

Sounds bad, right? It gets worse. As revealed in the Huffington Post by Craig Aaron on Dec 3, 2007, the Tribune Co. asked the FCC for an extension on the federal rules which said that it must divest some of its holding. Ordinarily, the extension would allow it time to shop them around and get a good price. However, under the Republican administration of Bush, these extensions have actually been used as a stalling maneuver to enable the FCC to rewrite the rules, as with the case of Viacom/CBS and NewsCorp/FOX.

Now, this is the tricky part. Rather than just giving the Trubune Co. an extension, the FCC gave it what I will call an Extension Prime . The Extension Prime says "No, you may not have an extension. But, if you file a lawsuit in the DC federal court challenging this denial of an extension, you will get a two year extension." And we will do a half assed job in court, assuring you a legal victory in this business friendly venue.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/craig-aaron/fcc-to-tribune-so-sue-me_b_75183.html

This arrangement is unprecedented and actually encourages Tribune to file a lawsuit to get the decision tossed out. Here's how FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, who cast one of the dissenting votes, describes Martin's evil genius:

If the majority simply granted a two-year waiver to Tribune - which would have been the straightforward thing to do - Tribune would have been unable to go to court because a party cannot file an appeal if their waiver request is granted. So what does this Order do? It denies the waiver request but offers an automatic (and unprecedented) waiver extension as soon as Tribune runs to the courthouse door, lasting for two years or until the litigation concludes - whichever is longer. Presto! Tribune gets at least a two-year waiver plus the ability to go to court immediately and see if they can get the entire rule thrown out.

It gets worse. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals -- which rejected the FCC's last attempt to gut media ownership rules in the landmark Prometheus v. FCC decision -- reserved the right to review any new rules issued by the FCC. But Friday's order would let Tribune take its case before the far more industry-friendly D.C. Circuit. While that court can't eliminate the ban on "newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership" entirely, it could do serious damage.

snip

The Bush administration has developed its own style of courtroom aikido -- a martial art that specializes in absorbing the energy of one's opponent. The administration encourages lawsuits from the logging companies, homebuilders, snowmobilers and off-road drivers, as well as property-rights proponents, all of which challenge the laws and regulations. Then it effectively surrenders, by making only weak defenses in court, or hurriedly agreeing to settlements that cave in to the challengers.

It is a shame that the Bill Moyers report on the FCC's rush to change the media ownership rules did not include the why above. Maybe they were afraid of speculating. I am not. The link between Sam Zell's financial need and Martin's rush to act is well documented in the media business news.

Here is the link to the Bill Moyers feature about the 1000s of Americans who have protested that media consolidations hurt their communities. Also, you can see Congress protest the FCC's plans. Republicans as well as Democrats have asked Martin to at least delay for 90 days this decision. Martin's response has been basically "Are you a billionaire Republican donor? No? Then f**k you."

http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/12142007/watch2.html

Be sure to check out this great exchange between Martin (who looks like an embryo Karl Rove) and Washington State Congressman Inslee:

REP. JAY INSLEE: When you have 1,000 people staying till 1:00 at night on a Friday, on the next Tuesday morning in THE NEW YORK TIMES, we see an op-ed by the chairman saying that he's going to propose rules that would basically ignore the testimony of these hundreds of people in Seattle the Friday before. Now, that troubles me because apparently, this is an op-ed that I can't believe wasn't written before this testimony was even listened to, and my folks in Seattle believe that they were treated like a bunch of chumps out in there that they had the FCC come out, fake like you're listening to them, and the deal was already done. So my first question, Chairman Martin, is was your op-ed, at least rough draft, written before you listened to these thousand people out in Seattle?

CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN, FCC: Sure, I was working on drafts of the op-ed. I'm sure I was working on it on the way out to Seattle.

REP. INSLEE: And when did you send the final draft to THE NEW YORK TIMES?

CHAIRMAN KEVIN MARTIN, FCC: I don't recall. It was some time over -- I'm sure it was some time over the weekend. I don't know. I don't know whether I submitted it on Friday or Saturday, I don't know.

REP. INSLEE: Well, knowing how THE NEW YORK TIMES works, I bet you submitted it before you heard the testimony in Seattle and I'm going to ask you to check that out and let us know.

What is at stake? A whole bunch of newspapers as well as TV stations across the country which will be providing slanted coverage during the 2008 election cycle, all in favor of the Republicans, since Zell will want to keep his media empire intact. Here is a link to The Tribune Co. assets. Is your paper one of them. Too bad. Do not expect local news. Instead, expect to read about how great Guiliani/Huckabee/Romney or McCain is----for about 6 solid months.

http://www.tribune.com/

AM New York · Baltimore Sun · Chicago Tribune · Hartford Courant · Los Angeles Times · Newsday · South Florida Sun-Sentinel · Orlando Sentinel · The Morning Call · Daily Press · The Advocate · Greenwich Time · Hoy (Chicago and Los Angeles)

CW Network Affiliates: KDAF · KHCW · KPLR · KRCW · KSWB · KTLA · KWGN · WDCW · WGN · WNOL · WPIX · WSFL · WTTV · WTXX

MyNetworkTV Affiliates: KMYQ · WPHL

ABC Network Affiliate: WGNO

Fox Network Affiliates: KCPQ · KTXL · WPMT · WTIC · WXIN · WXMI

Ask yourself. Do we need another Faux News next year, one that operates in stealth? We already have CBS, which has to report what the administration tells it to report or risk FCC action , because of its federal media ownership problems. CNN's parent company Time Warner is being blackmailed through its lucrative cable operation, which Martin is threatening to divvy up between the telecoms. If the FCC's plan goes through, the Tribune Co. and all its TV stations and newspapers will have to carry the Karl Rove script or risk being shut down at any moment by an FCC that suddenly has a change of heart--assuming that Sam Zell is not cut from the same clothe as Rupert Murdoch.

So, what are we going to do about it? Congress is the only body that can stop Kevin Martin. Congress is getting mad. It already has a fire lit under it, because Martin is taking over Congress's job, which is to write new legislation. We need to throw some more fuel under that fire. Let Congress know that the FCC is out of line and out of touch with America.'/b]

:grr: :grr: :grr:

[McCamy Taylor]

1. PS Why the FCC's Legal Maneuver Is So Insidious: It Makes Tribune Co. Subject to GOP Blackmail in a

way that a simple waiver or extension would not. This is because if the Tribune Co. knew that it has two years to get its house in order, it might start lobbying the next likely administration---say that of a Democratic presidential nominee---for favors. However, this Extension Prime can be revoked at any time by the FCC. All Martin has to do is decide to mount an unexpected aggressive legal challenge to the Tribune's appeal. If the FCC shows up in court with the full weight of the federal government and all the testimony of thousands of angry citizens and both parties of Congress demanding that the Tribune Co. comply with the law, then even an "industry friendly" court will rule against the Tribune Co. Sam Zell knows this.

The crazy way in which The Tribune Co. got its extension ensures that it is "dependent upon the kindness of strangers" to quote Tennessee Williams. In other words, it is a media whore, and it must please the Bush administration, which wants a Republican president in office in 2009, a president who will continue the war for oil in Iraq and a Republican Attorney General who will not prosecute any Bush administration official for torture or obstruction of justice or graft or corruption.

[Plucketeer]

4. I just shake my head in wonder!

How in the HELL did this regime hold on as long as it has????? :grr:

[McCamy Taylor]

5. Dirty tricks conducted via the FCC is how they got in office, stayed in office

they helped big time in selling the war with Iraq, they have helped in avoiding accountability on many issues. The corporate media will say anything for enough money (as KO admitted in his interview with Moyer) and there is more $$$ to be made from one FCC approval for a merger that creates a monopoly than there is dozens of advertisements for tampons. Under the Bush administration, all you have to do to get your merger approved is to write propaganda.

[me b zola]

2. rec' #5

[L. Coyote]

3. I recommend watching the show K&R

Bill Moyers Journal on PBS

[annabanana]

6. Big Fat KICK! Left and Right activists are ALL against this!

If there's any power online at all, it should be brought to bear on this issue.

[cornermouse]

7. In that case, we're fresh out of luck.

We've been trying to light a fire under Congress for a long time now. They don't even respond much when Bush introduces things which are clearly an attempt to limit their power.

[loudsue]

8. Until we take to the streets in droves about this, USPravda is going to

continue to lie to the American people about what's going on in our government.

If you don't think these guys will pull out all the stops to swiftboat the Dem candidate in 2008, you're fooling yourself. The masses will be lead to believe they are voting for space alien invaders if they vote for the dem candidate.