Plan Would Ease F.C.C. Restriction on Media Owners: Would benefit Murdoch, Zell

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: New York Times

By STEPHEN LABATON
Published: October 18, 2007

WASHINGTON, Oct. 17 — The head of the Federal Communications Commission has circulated an ambitious plan to relax the decades-old media ownership rules, including repealing a rule that forbids a company to own both a newspaper and a television or radio station in the same city.

Kevin J. Martin, chairman of the commission, wants to repeal the rule in the next two months — a plan that, if successful, would be a big victory for some executives of media conglomerates.

Among them are Samuel Zell, the Chicago investor who is seeking to complete a buyout of the Tribune Company, and Rupert Murdoch, who has lobbied against the rule for years so that he can continue controlling both The New York Post and a Fox television station in New York.

The proposal appears to have the support of a majority of the five commission members, agency officials said, although it is not clear that Mr. Martin would proceed with a sweeping deregulatory approach on a vote of 3 to 2 — something his predecessor tried without success. In interviews on Wednesday, the agency’s two Democratic members raised questions about Mr. Martin’s approach....

***

The deregulatory proposal is likely to put the agency once again at the center of a debate between the media companies, which view the restrictions as anachronistic, and civil rights, labor, religious and other groups that maintain the government has let media conglomerates grow too large....

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/18/business/media/18broadcast.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[aquart]

1. NO. No. No. No.

Where is Teddy Roosevelt and his fucking big trustbusting stick when you need him?

[cstanleytech]

2. I so agree.

Those in washington, both republican and democrat have let themselves be bought off these past few years to look the other way when it comes to mergers, though of course they dont call them bribes instead its a "campaign donation" or a "dinner".

[Selatius]

25. Unfortunately, nowadays, you almost need money from these trusts to win the presidency

Once in the presidency, you can then appoint people to the FCC, people who believe in democracy over corporate profits. The problem is finding someone who isn't compromised on the issue.

[mark414]

3. these guys make the turn of the century robber barons look like bungling pickpockets

[Judi Lynn]

4. How can people like Martin look at their own faces in the mirror?

They have done so much deep damage to this country. It will take forever to fix the problems.

They already have been shown how strongly the people do NOT want these changes, people from all walks of life, people who are ordinarily political enemies agree on this subject.

Hoping and praying the Democrats will be able to reverse these hideous mistakes the FCC has made after _Bush stole his office.

[damntexdem]

30. Martin doesn't look at his own face in the mirror.

He has a corporate-sponsored assistant to do that.

[williesgirl]

5. This has to be stopped - we're dead in the water if it goes thru. rec'd

[eagler]

6. FAIRNESS DOCTRINE and media trustbusting NOW

[ovidsen]

7. Deregulation run amuk

(I'm not sure I spelled amuk right, but you get the idea)

It wasn't so long ago that a company could own no more than one TV station, one AM station and one FM station in just 6 markets. The idea was that the airwaves were limited and a public trust, and should be shared by the most people willing to run a highly regulated business in which "equal time" was sacred and news was a must.

Some stations abused this privilege. I used to work for an FM rock station in Chicago that required me to run a 40 minute newscat at 5 in the morning. Outside of a few public service spots, it was just me reading wire copy, the newspaper, the backs of cereal boxes.... whatever. I bet you could count my listeners on both hands and still have fingers left over.

But at least the station was meeting its news requirement. Plus, it was a job that paid half way decent money.

Now, thanks to deregulation, moguls like Murdoch and Clear Channel can own hundreds of stations, including two, three or more in the same market. Local, creative programming is a thing of the past. News?? Fuggedabout.

And the FCC wants to loosen the rules even more? Morans.

[papau]

9. The largest media company is Google which is a near monopoly in all markets - but I agree

that one TV station, one AM station and one FM station still make sense - esp. since a TV station that gets cable or TV & radio stations that gets ground and satellite and internet can still be regulated and still are news outlets that control most public opinion. Perhaps in a few yesrs if the internet has achieved the influence of the LA Times/Chicago Trib/NYT/Wash Post it will not matter - but internet based TV streaming licenses are not selling like hotcakes - or even available - just yet, and with todays infrastructure they'd clog the internet if they were available.

[onenote]

10. google has a monopoly? On what?

[papau]

14. by market share they rule search and internet advertising (and yes there are other search

and ad companies, but market share defines "monopoly" - to say otherwise is sort of like pretending microsoft does not have a desktop monopoly because both linux/open office and Apple/works are in the market).

[pissnoffrethugs]

8. Oh God!

I'm surprised the FCC hasn't granted Murdoch ownership of the FCC.

[Whoa_Nelly]

12. If this fascist shift in our nation continues

that scenario may be nearer than any of us realize.

[NJCher]

13. yes

It will be called The Rupert P. Murdoch Memorial FCC.



Cher

[ovidsen]

27. How true

The FCC is nothing but a bunch of spineless cowards. Moguls say "jump"; they answer "how high?"

By the way, welcome to DU.

[IsItJustMe]

11. Whan propaganda works, it works real damn well. You see the current insanity in this country, don't

you?

More controle over the masses.

[natrat]

15. let's see how fast it will take pelosi and riedto start pimping this

[KoKo]

16. If you are Concerned you can EMail Dem Commmissioner of FCC, Michael Copps, here:

http://72.14.205.104/search?q=cache:_k-dG_8ekvgJ:www.fcc.gov/commissioners/copps/mail.html+Michael+Copps,+FCC&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=2&gl=us&client=firefox-a

I know he is very concerned about this and hoping citizens will let him know how they feel. Last time the "internets" managed to stop more deregulation it was 200,000 letters and emails that stopped them. But, we were joined by the "Pro-Gun Lobby" which were part of all those e-mails. The "Gun Lobby" was worried that media deregulation would take away their guns for some reason...all of it I don't remember but I know the Liberal Internets helped stop the deregulation then...and we can do it now.

[HootieMcBoob]

17. Are these people on crack?

Can you think of anything more damaging to democracy than this?

[0007]

28. I think one can obtain more value from crack than what this

Martin guy's is coming up with.

[Highway61]

18. WTF...

I can't stand it!

[thunder35]

19. someone needs to put a stop to all this takeovers

[Kajsa]

20. Oh hell no!

We are screwed if this passes.

Does this sound like a push for complete control and domination?

Hmm-what does this remind me of?

Both Fascism AND Communism.

[live love laugh]

21. How much more "RELAXED" can it get??????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[Yavin4]

22. Any Dem CongressCritter Voting For This Is Voting Themselves Out Of A Job

Guess which political party will benefit from more media consolidation?

Ans. It aint gonna be the one with a donkey as its mascot.

[Aviation Pro]

23. Not no, but fuck no....

...we need to reign in these out of control craporations.

[Evoman]

24. Okay guys...this is what we have to do.....

We find some women (and men)....real patriots....and we get as many of them as possible to show their tits on tv. With a media inundated with big, nipply tits, the fcc will be so busy looking out for our globular distractions, that they won't be able to completely ruin your media.

It can't fail.

[Javaman]

26. everytime one these bullshit rulings is posted we are all so shocked and dismayed...

folks, it's over.

The complete dismantling of America has begun. the congress if full of spineless lackeys, the moron* rules by decree, a supreme court with a thin glaze of integrity and as a nation we are filled with a bunch of mouth breathing hand wringers who stand by and hope that someone will have sense to stop it all.

always someone else's duty to do the hard stuff.

and so, here we are.

a nation of apathetic whiners screaming for others to do what we the people should be doing.

oh wait, who is the finalist on dancing with stars??

:banghead:

[happygoluckytoyou]

29. THE RULE WORKS... SO DOES EQUAL TIME FOR LIBERALS...

OR AS THE WEALTHY WOULD SAY... LETS BUY ALL THE MEDIA SO YOU GET ALL OUR FAIR AND BALANCED NEWS ALL THE TIME