BS: Stop the media monopoly

Subject: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: outfidel
Date: 29 May 03 - 11:19 AM

Spread the word to stop the FCC

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: katlaughing
Date: 29 May 03 - 06:28 PM

Thank you, for posting this. I did sign the petition. My Rog and I have been in media all of our lives, in one way or another. He's a broadcast engineer. What we've seen happen with absent owners, etc. has been horrible. This would make it even worse.

Through our contacts, I received this, today. I can vouch for the source. It is from an internal memo at ClearChannel. Maybe it will help others to decide to contact their Congresspeople:

this is a portion of a memo sent by (ClearChannel)headquarters in which they were explaining the disciplinary termination of 67 news people across the country: "Clear Channel does not see news as the arbitrary gathering and reporting of all activities taking place in that locale in a particular time period.   Clear Channel has definite corporate opinions and political viewpoints on events, we intend to use this power to speak as the voice of the American public, whether or not the majority of the public is in agreement with the official viewpoint."

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: GUEST,Jon
Date: 30 May 03 - 06:54 AM

I tried Kat but it doesn't take a UK zip code. I'd tried to comment:

"I'm from the UK so probably don't qualify to "sign" but feel strongly enough about what potentially could become a "state controlled press" to do so."

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 May 03 - 11:22 AM

Thanks, Jon. It really boggles the mind. I don't know of any proper place for you to lodge comments, as they are asking people to write directly to their congresspeople, etc. If I come across anything, I'll let you know, here. Thanks, a bunch,

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: Bobert
Date: 30 May 03 - 12:54 PM

Well danged!

I've had a lot of concerns about this deal ever since hearing about it. It reeks of money and politics. And the average American is going to get a lot less out of the deal.

Ahhhh, why wasn't there one danged public hearing? The two hearings that were held in New York and Richmond were not official hearings but arranged by the two Democrtas on the Commission. This, in a democracy, is wrong and cowardly.

And who's pushing for the deregulation? Guess...

Now consider this. Remember when the Dixie Chick made her statement agbout disagreein' with Bush's war policy? Well, that reaction was so swift and seeminly so universal because the attacks came from ClearChannel stations. Yeap, ya want to mobilize public opionion? Well, if you own all the media, it ain't to difficult. Now I'm sure a few of my friends on the other side (Dougr, et al) are loving this because now there side will have a big club fir punishing those who disagree with them but at what cost. Well, democracy, fir one. When the public can be so easily manipulated it takes the "informed" public out of Jefferson's experiement. But, after the 2000 election, I'm not too sure that a lot of folks don't consider democracy just a big pain in the butt.

Just remember, what you folks are giving away you won't get back when the pendulum swings so I don't want all you neocons complaining. You guys are the ones trashing the system.

Boy, who would have thought that a few radical folks would end up taking over the country and Joe Sixpack too busy drinking Budwieser and watchin' cars go round in a circle.

Beam me up...

Bobert

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: Kim C
Date: 30 May 03 - 01:27 PM

I signed it.

Clear Channel already owns most of the radio stations in Nashville anyhow. I don't like it. One of the things I REALLY don't like about it is that in some markets, "local" radio programs aren't local at all; they're farmed out to other stations, other radio people, etc. I'm not talking about syndicated programs - I don't have a problem with those. We all know those aren't necessarily local. But I heard a story about the changing face of the radio business on NPR a long time ago, and it spooked me just a little.

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: DougR
Date: 30 May 03 - 01:35 PM

To the contrary, Bobert. I think it is a bad move on the part of the FCC if they do it. We do not need media monoplies in this country.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: Don Firth
Date: 30 May 03 - 01:52 PM

Bear with me on this:—

I once worked as an announcer for a radio station that went automated overnight. One of my jobs was to load and program "Frankenstein" for overnight play. "Frankenstein" (our pet name for the IGM automation unit—IGM=International Good Music, LTD—the outfit that made these monsters was in Canada) was a big console with three tape decks, three cartridge carousels, and a fairly complex clock with little peg switches. I threaded three fresh tapes (13 inch reels that held three hours of music each) onto "Frankenstein's" decks, taped voice tracks from the song lists onto a cartridge, loaded the carousels with the voice track cart and the scheduled commercial carts (along with station IDs at required intervals), then taking the timings from the song sheets in the tape boxes, figured out where to set the peg switches on the clock so that the commercials ran at the appropriate times and the 3:00 a.m. station ID came at 3:00 a.m.—no small chore. Then, at midnight, I shut down the live board and punched "Frankenstein's" Start button, made sure it was functioning as required, signed the log and left. I would listen to the station on the car radio as I drove home. There I was, listening to myself on the radio. As far as anyone could tell, I worked, not from 6:00 p.m. to midnight, but from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 a.m. the following morning (I only got paid for the six hours I was on live, though).

A couple of years later I applied for a job at another station. It was both AM and FM, with separate programming. When they gave me a tour of the station and explained what my duties would be, I found out that the AM side was all live announcer, live board, and the FM side was all automated. No live announcers at all. It was a four deck "Frankenstein" and it ran in a room all by itself, with someone coming in to program it once every twelve hours. By listening to it, you couldn't tell that there was nobody there.

Both of these jobs were in the early Seventies. Since then, radio station automation equipment has become a lot more sophisticated and much easier to program.

All this is to give you some background on automated radio stations. The punch-line is that I heard on the news yesterday that a toxic spill occurred in a small city somewhere in the US. I didn't get where it was; they only aired the story once. But the community authorities wanted to issue an evacuation alert as a cloud of ammonia drifted toward the city. In an attempt to get the word out quickly, they called all eight local stations and got nothing but answering machines. It turned out that all eight stations were automated. There were no live bodies in any of them. And all eight stations were owned by one out-of-town media corporation.

It seems to me that this sort of thing could have a direct and deadly affect on matters of Homeland Security. As the FCC deliberates, are they taking things like this into consideration? What do you think?

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: outfidel
Date: 30 May 03 - 04:09 PM

Well we have good news and bad news.

The good news is that people are talking and protesting about the FCC and Clear Channel.

The bad news is that only 9 people showed up for the protest in Charleston.

3 cheers for those 9 people -- at least they got it right.

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: CarolC
Date: 30 May 03 - 04:25 PM

Radio is the only medium I know where the customer can switch providers at 60 mph.

-- Andrew Levin (Clear Channel's senior vice president for government affairs)

Um... huh?


Make the pie higher!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: katlaughing
Date: 30 May 03 - 04:28 PM

Don Firth, it will take people like you and the rest of us, emailing them, calling them, etc. to make SURE that they do consider such things.

Here's a bit more on Clear Channel:

ClearChannelSucks.org is a free speech website dedicated to educating the public about entertainment giant Clear Channel. Clear Channel owns over 1,200 radio stations and 37 television stations, with investments in 240 radio stations globally, and Clear Channel Entertainment (aka SFX, one of their more well-known subsidiaries) owns and operates over 200 venues nationwide. They are in 248 of the top 250 radio markets, controlling 60% of all rock programming. They outright own the tours of musicians like Janet Jackson, Aerosmith, Pearl Jam, Madonna and N'Sync. They own the network which airs Rush Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, Casey Kasem, and the Fox Sports Radio Network. With 103,000,000 listeners in the U.S. and 1,000,000,000 globally (1/6 of the world population), this powerful company has grown unchecked, using their monopoly to control the entire music industry. If you find this alarming, ClearChannelSucks.org is the place for you.


Clear Channel-Bush Administration Connections

Take Back The Media has an interesting commentary on their site regarding connections between Clear Channel and George W. Bush. CCS has not verified the information in this article, and it is listed as commentary. However, upon first inspection the connections provided seem accurate based on current knowledge and other sources we've read. Radio Ga Ga is a highly recommended short read. Thanks to angry_droid for the tip.

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: DougR
Date: 30 May 03 - 05:36 PM

I wondered how long it would take to drag George Bush into this. When the allegations are proved (if they ever are) other than slinging commentary with no basis of fact, I'll be happy to read whatever it is they have to say.

I hear GWB was responsible for the recent spate of tornados in the south also.

DougR

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: Gareth
Date: 30 May 03 - 07:38 PM

Well DougR - You seem to think that George W B Junior is GOD, so perhaps he was/is responsible !

Gareth - running and sheltering from the forthcomming THUNDRBOLT

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: NicoleC
Date: 30 May 03 - 08:14 PM

Comments on the subject from one of those media giants, Ted Turner, here.

Subject: RE: BS: Stop the media monopoly
From: DougR
Date: 31 May 03 - 11:59 AM

Nope, Gareth, I don't think he is God. I just think he is my president.

DougR