Obama Stands Up to Bush, the FCC, and Big Media

[FrenchieCat]

Obama, Bush at Odds Over Media-Ownership Vote

Democratic Presidential Candidate Urges House of Representatives to Follow Senate's Lead,
Scrap FCC's Media-Ownership-Rule Change

Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) Thursday urged the House to follow the Senate's lead and pass a resolution of disapproval, an unusual legislative maneuver that would invalidate the FCC's decision to allow TV and radio stations and newspapers to be co-owned in the top 20 markets, subject to some conditions.

After the Senate approved the measure, Obama, a co-sponsor of the bill, released a statement saying, "I urge my colleagues in the House of Representatives to expeditiously pass the legislation."

He framed the vote, as he has before, as standing up to "Washington special interests," a campaign theme. "Our nation’s media market must reflect the diverse voices of our population, and it is essential that the FCC promotes the public interest and diversity in ownership," he said.

More.....

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6561535.html

Obama Stands Up to Bush, the FCC, and Big Media

Posted by Matt Stoller, Open Left at 9:58 AM on May 16, 2008.

Sen. Obama locks horns with the FCC and speaks up for diversity in media.

The FCC decision to consolidate yet more media was opposed by 99% of public comments. As Paul Rosenberg noted in this comments, this might be the single least popular decision by the Bush administration ever. But Obama, as he did with his media and tech plan, took this further, and called for diversity and representation for the public interest in media ownership.

With ownership levels for minorities and women in media in the low single digits, Obama is really saying that it's time to reshape our media system.

With the Pentagon Pundit scandal coming on the wave of a number of serious breakdowns of the public legitimacy of the press, the public desire for a new media system is strong. The technological capacity to create such a system exists, in fact, media has been dramatically reshaped already through the internet. Broadcast media, though, is still somewhat untouched, but this kind of serious structural argument about the media from the likely President is something that cable and broadcast executives, as well as progressives, should take very seriously.

I've heard quite frequently from political operatives that this race is not Obama versus McCain, but Obama versus the media. And it's clear that without breaking down the structure of the media conglomerates, public discourse will remain as polluted and dishonest as it is now. And so President Obama is telegraphing his intentions to be a media reformer. Now it's up to us to help him get there.

More.....
http://www.alternet.org/blogs/peek/85608/#more

[anonymous171]

1. Oh shit. So now it's McCain, Clinton, The Media vs Obama

To quote *: Bring 'em on!

[FrenchieCat]

2. Don't forget Bush and Rove and 'em!

:hi:

But it's them versus Obama and the people! :)

[and-justice-for-all]

19. Well lets kick their asses!!!!

seek and destroy!!!

[DerekJ]

3. I've heard quite frequently from political operatives that this race is not Obama versus McCain, but

Obama versus the media. And it's clear that without breaking down the structure of the media conglomerates, public discourse will remain as polluted and dishonest as it is now."

ummmm ... That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it?!

[anonymous171]

4. Yep. The media is responsible for the mess we're in now.

Remember Fox and Florida in 2000? Could have all been avoided.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Yep. That's the event that made me politically active......

and saw the media for what it truly had become.

This was the diddy that brought us out-of-control cable news!

1996 TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT

Clinton Signs The Telecommunications Act of 1996
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 is the first major overhaul of telecommunications law in almost 62 years. The goal of this new law is to let anyone enter any communications business -- to let any communications business compete in any market against any other.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 has the potential to change the way we work, live and learn. It will affect telephone service -- local and long distance, cable programming and other video services, broadcast services and services provided to schools.
http://www.fcc.gov/telecom.html

[Pab Sungenis]

9. Remember how they sold it?

They implied it would improve diversity. "The goal of this new law is to let anyone enter any communications business," when the actual goal was to let the big conglomerates squeeze out and out-spend the little guys.

[FrenchieCat]

10. Yep....they were very insistent.......that this gave us many more "voices" and "choices".....

but then those Choices and voices were to be owned by the same 5 Corporations.

You see it now so clearly; like GE owning NBC and MSNBC and CNCB and partners with Newsweek which is owned by the WAPO Stockholders. Or CNN who is owned by Time-Warner who publishes the Times and partners with ABC who is owned by Disney, and so forth and so on.....

So in the end, they all just sit at circular tables and attribute the CW from one of their expert to one of their pundits, and then commission a poll, and then we get from them what we are supposed to think.

This is the reason that Low Information Voters (LIV) are so dangerous. They are the ones that the media have always worked their magic on.

[democracy1st]

18. you're darn right it did

I went back and read all the pro arguments,just like Nafta nothing but pure BS

[barack the house]

6. I think with time more people will se he is the only candidate fighting our corner in words and

actions.

[K Gardner]

7. K&R. We need to get to ISSUES quickly.. time is passing us by.

[FrenchieCat]

11. I think that he's making up pretty well for "lost time"....cause he hit the

National security issue pretty hard last week. Got to say, he came out swinging.

I know the Republicans were saying like.......Doh, what just happened here? LOL!

[Cali_Democrat]

17. Time is one of our biggest enemies right now

The more time the media has to consolidate and accumulate power, the harder it will be to break their stranglehold on the American people. I am praying Obama gets elected. I'm not sure what I would do if he isn't. He's the only one that can change the status quo.

[K Gardner]

20. Agreed.

[TexanDem]

8. K&R Good for him!!

[Tatiana]

12. Obama is standing up for the public's interest.

The Senate overwhelmingly supported this and I'm sure the House (including those reckless BLUE DOGS) will pass the measure as well.

Bush has already promised a veto.

Let's see if they have the votes to override it. Rethugs up for reelection will be in the hot seat on this one and if they vote with the President, it will give Democrats even stronger ammunition in downticket races.

[anigbrowl]

13. But Obama is the candidate of the corporate media!

It must be a clever plot to make him look independent while he conspires with his secret overlords or something.

[FrenchieCat]

15. Not by a long shot.

[uponit7771]

22. How could you make this statement after 6 straight weeks of pastorgating by the us media!?!?!

[FrenchieCat]

24. That's Pastorbating!

[Undercurrent]

14. Yahoo!

People who have said Obama was a pantie waist, push over, and a weakling are dead wrong! The man is a tiger! The past few days have shown that he will fight for us.

[ej510]

16. Obama is a breath of fresh air it is about fucking time! Fuck consolidation. Fuck Clear Channel!

:woohoo:

[uponit7771]

21. I'm donating 25 MORE dollars this month! Go BAMA!!!

[dailykoff]

23. Notice how they take turns.

Hillary is the little angel this news cycle while bushler takes over the heavy lifting for a few hours.

[WA98296]

25. Wow, there's a bit of REAL HOPE! GoBama!