Here's the site to visit [1] if you want to make your own voice heard with regard to the FCC's actions on ownership, or any other matters. Knowing how to dash off a note to your Congressional Rep or Senator -- and then doing it -- can help maintain the many voices being heard. Also consider dropping a note to John McCain and Fritz Hollings. They are the ones in a position to do something. Supporting Bernie Sanders and Maurice Hinchey (see below) would also be a good idea.
Write to your congressional representative [2].
Write to your senator [3].
More on The FCC
(or should that be, Morons: The FCC?)
Is there a http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2003-06-04-fcc_x.htm [4] ">ray of hope, a wavelength gathering signal power, out there in the air?
Thereís more: this one [5] from a NY Congressman, Maurice Hinchey [6]. Point of note: Rep. Hinchey was an original opponent to Bushís incursion into Iraq.
The Sunday New York Times has an Op-Ed piece [7] by Brent Staples [8], ìDriving Down the Highway, Mourning the Death of American Radioî Back in February of this year,Staples had another piece [9], The Trouble With Corporate Radio: The Day the Protest Music Died, which elicited much discussion. An example of that discussion can be found here [10].
(note: although Dave Winer has been working with the NY Times [11], trying to lift them from their ìpay us for the fishwrapperî stance to opening up their archives for free public perusal, to at least letting bloggers quote, cite, and link to full articles . . . the best I can do in this case is point to the blurb, since the Times is of a mind to not let readers see now what they could have seen for free then. Iíve been writing about this [12] almost as long as this blog has been in existence.)
Brian Lambert, of the St. Paul Pioneer Press, takes the major broadcast networks to task for their general lack of coverage [13] of this news story. No Oprah, no Laci, no sex appeal, so it was ignored. He does note that Ted Koppell aired a piece on it. Powell begged off that interview. In another way of stating it: chickened out, avoided the questions, took a powder.
Kevin Werbach [14], writing in Slate this past February, offers a curious portrayal of Powell, calling him the ideological equal of Al Gore. The piece is called The Real Michael Powell [15]. Kevinís more current comments can be found here [16], in his blog.
The Boston Herald carried an AP story [17] on Wednesday, stating McCain and others would seek a rollback of the Powell Majorityís move. CBS News and CBS-On Line also carried the story [18].
In the AP story, SC Senator Fritz Hollings said Powell has been engaged in "spin and fraud" in his defense of deregulation and the FCC has become "an instrument of corporate greed." Letís hear it for Fritz!
Independent Vermont Congressman Bernie Sanders [19] had an Op-Ed piece [20] in the Baltimore Chronicle & Sentinel, The Mass Media: Corporate Control Up, Quality Down. The piece was excerpted from an April newsletter Sanders distributes. This guy is prescient, or so it seems. You can see the original piece here [21].
According to this report [22] by Stephanie Ho, it seems even Trent Lott and Jesse Jackson are seeing eye to eye on this issue! This link comes from the VOA website: yep, Voice Of America! Check out the VOAís code [23] on fairness and reporting! This must burn up John Ashcroft!
And speaking of Ashcroft, apparently it is now a tie: who is the worst of the Bush appointees? Used to be Ashcroft won that vote, hands down. Now, with the June 2nd FCC vote, Powell is challenging Ashcroft. And how fitting, isnít it? There is some speculation that Powellís ambition is to become the Attorney General should there be a second term Bush2 administration.
Imagine the laws he might push for: mandatory listening to Clear Channel stations, mandatory watching of Fox News and other Fox Channels.
Scary thought, eh?