[Fwd: CALPIRG : Tell the FCC that Big Media is big enough]

Dear Reader of the CalPirg blog,

Here's the latest message from Steve B----- of Calpirg.

Yesterday, I heard a show on a national US television station about the
Chinese Tiananmen Square massacre of 1989. Apparently, the Chinese
government desires to have a monopoly on ALL media within, and coming in
an out, of China. Apparently, United States companies like Cisco,
Google, Yahoo, Microsoft--another "Gang of Four" (these gangs crop up,
don't they, and not just in the world of design patterns)--are bending
over backwards to be good business buddies with the Chinese government.
Apparently, they have and are aiding the Chinese government, with
technologies and services, which may likely be used to control Chinese
dissidents.

I know a thing or two about dissidents. Siberia (where I was born) was
the place where Russian dissidents were sent, to the Siberian labor
camps. Many good, intelligent people ended up there. Luckily, Russia
eventually shook loose the chains of oppression. Perestrojka in 1992
meant the fall of Communism in Russia, and that's really why I am here
in the United States, writing to you (my family--myself
included--emigrated from Russia thanks to the opening of the borders).
And that's also why, Russia is left with alcoholics and village
people--many members of the intelligentsia (like my father) left Russia
long ago, for more up-to-date countries like Britain, Australia, Israel,
United States, etc.

Well, let's all hope the world is moving forward, not backward.

Peace!

--Alex

-------- Forwarded Message --------
From: Steve Blackledge, CALPIRG Legislative Director
<SteveB at calpirg.org>
To: BloggerShurik at gmail.com
Subject: CALPIRG : Tell the FCC that Big Media is big enough
Date: Wed, 22 Nov 2006 12:40:22 -0600

Hi Shurik,

Imagine if all the news you saw on television, read in your newspaper and heard on the radio came from the same source. That would be bad for democracy; for arts and culture; and for the free exchange of ideas.

Sadly this is not too far removed from reality; eight of the largest media giants already own 90% of the media market. Making matters worse, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering weakening the rules on how many media outlets any one company can own.

Ask the FCC to prevent big media from getting any bigger and to instead encourage more diverse, independent and minority ownership. Then ask your friends and family to do the same by forwarding this email to them.

To make a comment, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://calpirg.org/CA.asp?id=1876&id4=ES

Background

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets the rules that limit how many media outlets any one company can own. Currently no single company can own both the local newspaper and a broadcast television station in the same media market (unless a market had such cross-ownership before the rule was enacted). Other rules generally prohibit one company from owning more than one large local television station but only somewhat restrict the number of radio stations any one company can own in the same media market. Over the years, the FCC has relaxed these rules to allow big media to get even bigger. Now, the agency wants to go even further.

In 2003 the FCC voted 3-2 to weaken these longstanding media ownership rules, despite over 3 million comments opposing the proposal. The U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals then rejected the rules, setting the stage for the FCC to reconsider them, a process which it announced this summer.

If the rules are weakened, as they already have been for radio, more big media companies will be allowed to own both the largest newspaper and the largest television station in any city. Big broadcasters will be allowed to own nearly all of the TV stations in a small or medium sized city. That's bad for democracy, for arts and culture, and for the free exchange of ideas.

Radio is the canary in the coal mine that should warn us against this action. Congress itself unwisely deregulated radio in 1996, when it also gave the FCC a tentative green light to go forward with its 2003 action. Clear Channel Communications now owns more than 1200 radio stations. Its use of national playlists and announcers has virtually stifled local news and local musical diversity on its stations.

The FCC is currently accepting comments and we need to take this opportunity to make sure our voices are heard.

Take a moment to ask the FCC to prevent big media from getting any bigger and to instead encourage more diverse, independent and minority ownership. Then ask your friends and family to do the same by forwarding this email to them.

To make a comment, click on this link or paste it into your web browser:
http://calpirg.org/CA.asp?id=1876&id4=ES

Sincerely,

Steve Blackledge
CALPIRG Legislative Director
SteveB at calpirg.org
http://www.calpirg.org

P.S. Thanks again for your support. Please feel free to share this e-mail with your family and friends.

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