Media Consolidation Woes for the FCC
There's no such thing as bad press. Unless you're a member of the FCC trying to convince Congress, the courts, and the American people that media consolidation isn't so terrible, after all. In their latest attempt to rekindle a deregulation campaign that failed to ignite in 2003, the feds keep tripping on their shoelaces in a downright comical streak of bad PR:
- This summer, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin posed in a Details Magazine spread with a telecom lobbyist and the VP of XM radio. Ok, I get it, you guys run the show behind closed doors.
- Then the House demanded that the FCC engage the public before passing any new media ownership laws; public hearings were scheduled across the country.
- Meanwhile, Democratic Commissioners Copps and Adelstein (pictured to the right, wailing on a harmonica) have publicly voiced dissent towards relaxing ownership regs.
- The real stink bomb hit this September: Senator Boxer (D-CA) revealed two FCC media ownership studies that someone at the agency had ordered to be destroyed a few years back. These studies demonstrated some unsavory consequences of media consolidation. But if the studies never existed, then there's no problem, right?
- Last week, the FCC brought their House-ordained public hearings on ownership limits to L.A. Turns out that the public isn't so keen on deregulation.
Even though the commission's 3 republicans favor relaxing ownership rules, they might find it difficult to justify doing so in light of the recent scandal and public outcry (click here to file your own comments with the FCC regarding media consolidation, refer to docket 06-121). Perhaps the commission had better stick to studying whether TV ads are making kids fat.
Oprah on Satellite Radio
Now Oprah has her own satellite radio channel, called "Oprah & Friends" (come on, O, stealing from Barney?), and will produce a weekly program with her not-gay-lover, Gayle King. Oprah and Gayle's show will air a zillion times each week, opposite such WFMU superstar DJs as Tony Rettman, Trouble, Diane Kamikaze, Dave the Spazz, Martha, Jeffrey Davison, Michael Shelley, Terre T, Tony Coulter, Evan Muse, Dan Bodah, Glen Jones, Gaylord Fields, and Bethany. With competition like this, the big O shall be eliminated in no time.
FCC Reexamines Fleeting Curses
Yes, the indecency battle rages onward. We left off last time with the major broadcast TV networks banding together to sue the FCC for enforcing unconstitutional and unclear indecency standards, based on a set of rulings and fines issued by the commission earlier this year. The FCC, realizing that they may have overstepped their authority, asked the appeals court assigned to their case for extra time to reexamine their decisions on instances of fleeting expletives. The court recently granted this request, putting the case on hold until the feds can come up with a Plan B that doesn't make their enforcement efforts appear to be governed by a magic 8 ball. In the meantime, Commissioner Adelstein admits that the FCC's indecency standards are far too shifty, TV stations everywhere are so afraid of crossing the wavering indecency line that unnecessary self-censorship is now rampant, and even political commercials featuring foul-mouthed senators are under fire. Let's hope that the courts hold the FCC accountable for their inconsistencies, and recognize that their actions have infringed upon the first amendment.
Pirate Radio Workshops in Oakland
It's like boot camp for radio pirates: Stephen Dunifer trains folks to set up their own transmitters, involve their communities, and evade the FCC.
Content Wars and the Internet
Seems like the music industry is warming up to You Tube, but not Yahoo Music. Warner signed a deal with You Tube, allowing them to host music videos by their artists, while a similar deal is under negotiation with Universal. Meanwhile, TV networks are taking advantage of the digital revolution: plenty of primetime shows are now offered as streaming video.
R.I.P. Tokyo Rose (Iva Toguri)
give it up for Steadman?
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Posted by: Steve PMX | October 11, 2006 at 01:35 PM