Bill Moyers Journal: Media Ownership Rules
By Nicole Belle Friday Nov 16, 2007 2:45pm
Download | play Download | play (h/t Heather)
Bill Moyers look at the FCC head Kevin Martin's full tilt toward media consolidation:
On November 2, 2007, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced that the Commission would hold the sixth and final public hearing on media consolidation November 9, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein blasted the Chairman's decision to give the public only five business days notice before the hearing: "With such short notice, many people will be shut out ... This is outrageous and not how important media policy should be made."
You can watch the entire episode on PBS.
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I didn't realize it was only 5 days notice. These crooks will do anything to control and consolidate media. With all the evidence of war crimes coming out, despite their every effort, they have to.
Sick.
One of the most important means of controlling a nation is to control its media. The other one is the military and finally the currency. You do that, and you can do pretty much darn anything you want. Let's not let that happen here.
I watched Bill Moyers last night, as usual he was excellent in breaking down another of the many issues that we are faced with under this fascist regime.
My first thought when I saw the clips of K. Martin at the Seattle hearing was what a smug little bastard he is.
Martin must be what little George must have been like at that age and we all know what a smug big bastard older George is now.
What a prick. I've been emailing all sort of different news outlets for weeks to shine a spot on this asshole. I'm wondering why we aren't hearing more Washington Dems speak up on this. Kevin Martin is another blatant example of the "please bend over" mentality that the Bush administration has given to everyone that isn't on their honey list.
Wow, did you catch all of that anal penetration innuendo I threw in there? I apologize to anyone that finds that sort of thing pleasurable by linking it to the dildoes in the Bush...umm ass?
There will probably trolls testifying how consolitation would be good, this is yet another sham and a waste of taxpayers money. this country politics is just a ploy for the devil set stage to the enslavement of all the people on earth. We must never forget Harry and Nancy the ones who made it all possible.
I live in Seattle. In spite of the short notice, 1,500 people showed up and 99% of them were there to rage against attempt to gain control of the media. I am sure nobody expected that kind of response. Ha. Good for us.
Inside the beltway Democrats are afraid to rock this boat. They don't want the media to gang up on them during an election season.
What cowards they are.
We need to put a stop to this TRAINWRECK called the FCC NOW.
We need to GO ON RECORD WITH LETTERS TO THE FCC AND TO OUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMEN BY THE MILLIONS SAYING WE WANT HANDS OFF THE MEDIA.
And while we are at it, we should CANCEL ALL SUBSCRIPTIONS TO ALL MEDIA AND SEE HOW THEY LIKE BEING UNEMPLOYED AND UNDERFUNDED THE WAY MOST OF US ARE! ! ! !
Why is it that we see this problem and continue to stuff the pockets of these bastards WITH OUR MONEY?
It's not a "must have". The only "must have" in this world is the INTERNET.
KEEP THE NET
DUMP YOUR TV.
I don't care if you have expensive equipment. So do I. I use it for DVD's that I get from the NET.
Or you can stream direct to your digital screen if you have one.
NO Problem. I have yet to run out of media.
No subscriptions here and NO newspapers or magazines either.
I only financially support those I frequent on the net.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I BEG OF YOU LET'S WIN BACK OUR COUNTRY.
LET'S HIT THEM WHERE IT HURTS...
THE BOTTOM LINE.
TAKE BACK YOUR MEDIA.
FIRE THE PIGS IN CHARGE OF IT RIGHT NOW.
CANCEL YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS.
Yellowbird, @7, I agree with you that we need to stop supporting the MSM propaganda machines, but we need to continue to stay informed. The reich-wingers would be only to happy to subvert our information sources to the point that we reject them and get no information at all. We need to support blogs such as this one and fight to preserve net neutrality and at the same time work to develop our own information outlets.
The fundamental question in my mind; why is there a political majority in any commision other than the house and senate? Even that B*tch next to that D*ck said that she didn't want media conglomeration headed that way. Fire the FCC and put the media in neutral, third party control, hell hire journalists!
See how AmeriKa falls. It will be soooo much easier to control the People if only a few corporations own the media and what we are allowed to know and see. Soon even the internet will not a reliable venue for free speech. For many of us, we still understand the concept of free speech. What about the kids growing up on the steady diet of mindless garbage that is on our networks and in our newspapers? They won't know the difference between propaganda and truth. Of course that's the plan.
You guys won't be able to turn it around. If you depend on your politicians to change this, then you already lost.
The only way, and I mean thee only way this can be stopped is if the American people stand up and create a movement to turn it around. This won't ever happen though. Americans would rather watch Desperate Housewives than march for the very essence of democracy.
Welcome your new America, you deserve it.
We can begin by recognizing how the hell we got to this point:First we can Thank BClinton for the 1996 Telco act(Yes ,he consolidated our media)& then try not to put another Corporatist Dem or Repuke in the WH.That will go along way in helping our Democracy.
Orangutan. @ 2:
I agree except the order. They seize control of the money first, then the media, then use the media to set the political climate for a war, then use the military to make more money and use the fear generated by war to consolidate control over the population.
I just watched Zeitgeist the movie (free on google vids) again and it makes the whole sequence pretty clear (see especially part III for this. Part I pretty well outlines the history of religion, and part II how the control of the money by certain families has pretty much run American History since the mid nineteenth century). Zeitgeist pulls together and summarizes a lot of the research that has been done in many areas. I think it is part of a citizen's basic education and should be taught to all children old enough to comprehend its concepts.
BabushkaBlue Says:
"I live in Seattle. In spite of the short notice, 1,500 people showed up and 99% of them were there to rage against attempt to gain control of the media. I am sure nobody expected that kind of response. Ha. Good for us."
Yeah, I'm a proud Seattleite too. We kicked their ass. Hey WTC, want some more Seattle-style democracy?
I lived in Jim McDermott's district during the runup to the Iraq War. Remember Baghdad Jim? Well, the people in his district got it right. We all told him he was right to be the ONLY House Member to go see what the heck was going on in Iraq BEFORE the invasion, we all scolded him for apologizing (NEVER, EVER APOLIOGIZE FOR CALLING BUSH A MISLEADER - SET IN STONE RULE #1 WHEN DEALING WITH GOPPERS - NEVER APOLOGIZE).
Despite a huge effort by FOX to slam him, we handily re-elected Jim by - get this- an 80% margin.
So go do some more painkillers Rush. You're gonna need 'em.
OMG - correction! "Hey WTC,..." is actually Hey WTO!
Control the masses through consolidation of thought. This will only lead to one end. If everyone doesn't start waking up to what is really going on then we are all in serious trouble, it will make no difference if you are Dem or Repub. I have my own belief that it is already too late but I'm sure that I have a much different view of things than the average Joe. People need to start putting together all the pieces of what has been going on here lately, not only with our country but with the world at large. Can you feel the build up? But what is the going to be the release of all this energy? It won't be a Democratic president I can guarantee you that.
In the beginning I'm sure people thought "not in my country" but it has been happening in "OUR country" and it is continuing to happen in our country.
Why has there been no alternative to the norm for a new direction in this country? Why must we be tied to this two party system? Why are the parties at such odd with each other, and if they are at such odd with each other, why do the Democrats continue to fully support these administrations polices?
Money, power, greed, selfishness? Is this truly the american way? Is this the new order of things for our country or is it the new order of the world we live in?
Why can america not defend herself from within her boarders? Why can the usa not fully sustain its own economy, food and fuel supplies within our boarders? It can and you fully know that it can, we are living a lie. We are being told that we absolutely have to be in this world economy. We are told to pay our bills, be good stewards of the earth, have respect for one another, respect others property, life and liberty but yet as a nation we do none of these.
As a nation we are so far in debt that the world now knows that we are no longer the leader in anything other than self indulgence. This along with other things will be our demise. Do not think that the elites of this country will shed a tear when this nation will fall. They are will diversified in their currency and they have wealth that you can not imagine.
America of old has been kidnapped; we need to set a new course before we are all derailed.
This could be part of the key to steal or manipulate the presidential election. "Law and order" Guiliani takes control and then cracks down.
Orangutan. @ 2:
The first thing they always did (traditionally) in a coup d'etat was storm the radio stations. Nothing has changed much. Now they do it with the appearance of legality. (That's why guys like Alberto Gonzales are important-- to Bush. The look of legal.)
I wonder what goodies Martin is getting.
It's a good thing you all have guns in your nightstand (don't you?).
Media Consolidation= State run Media.hmmmmmmmm? where have I heard that before?
Eleven years ago, nationally syndicated progressive radio talk shows were non existent. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 changed all that. Media consolidation resulted in an explosion of successful liberal talkers. Radio networks rushed out to hire as many liberals as they could find. Thanks to the feeding frenzy for liberal talk shows, Progressives enjoy unprecedented fame and fortune via daily network syndication. Congratulations go out to:
Randi Rhodes, Tom Hartmann, Lionel, Alan Colmes, Ray Taliaferro, Bernie Ward, Stephanie Miller, Bill Press, Ed Schultz, Mike Malloy, Neil Rogers, Cenk Uygur, Mike Newcomb, Amy Goodman, Lizz Brown, Rachel Maddow, Laura Flanders, Doug Basham, Jim Hightower, Bruce Burch, Jon Eliot, Duke Skorich, Peter Collins, Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Lynn Samuels, Christine Craft, Bev Smith, Michael Eric Dyson, Stacy Taylor, Lynn Cullen, Jay Marvin, Mark Levine...just to name a few.
Of course we consolidation. How else will we fully realize the nascent version that we now have? There are just too many voices not chanting the BushCo mantra in perfect harmony.
chlorocardium @ 20:
OK, lets try typing correctly. (Just waiting ro edit ability...)
Of course we need media consolidation. How else will we fully realize the nascent version of fascism that we now have? There are just too many voices not chanting the BushCo mantra in perfect harmony.
Or as Hillary would say "Ask Al Gore."
Democrats, hello? Funny that Kucinich is the only one speeaking out against media monopolies. Oh well. "Ugh."
This infuriating pipsqueak, Kevin Martin, is exactly what I picture when I think "young republican".
It's all about you and your future, Kevin Martin: your job security trumps our democracy and sense of fair play.
I hope to hell that in 2008, all of these pricks get their pimply butts booted out of their government jobs. They gladly take our tax-dollars for their salaries, and then set out to destroy everything we hold dear.
GD all of them.
[Deleted. Don't advocate for violence at this site.]
I wish one of the citizens at the Seattle meeting woud have asked Martine which of those media giants he will be working for when his tenure at the FCC espires. but my favorite was the guy who said, "It was good of you to come here on such short notice." Stab and TWIST.
What passes for news and journalistic integrity in todays corporate media is stunningly awful...
One can only fathom what it will look and sound like with further consolidation?
Watch this video. It speaks about the same media we in America are experiencing.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=5832390545689805144&q=the+revolu...
[Deleted. Please post this in an open thread. It is off topic here-Sitemonitor]
[deleted--this is off-topic. This is a question better suited for an email to John Amato at the link provided.]
repeal the telecommunications act of 1996. Make the Mays family get real jobs
The point here is definitely taken but I'm curious how Crooks and Liars gets to brand the video with their name as if they did something besides copy and paste someone else's journalism. I like what you all are doing here but that kind of bothers me. I suppose I could just copy and past your stuff onto my blog and put my name over the top and that's OK too?
Just curious.
AND they are doing it during the Thanksgiving holiday week. Sneak it by us while we are watching football and drunk on champagne.
Taking over the media is all part of the plan of becoming a fascist state. The duty of the media is to shine a light upon the darkness of government...the deeper the secrecy, the greater the crimes being covered up. Neo-conservatives = Thugs.
Secrecy no more.
Since when did executive agencies become independent branches of government unanswerable to the people or to congress?
What the hell?! Where did they get these ordinary people, capable of critical thinking AND clearly expressing it too!? This is not the America I'm used to. They're speaking more eloquently than Olbermann for crying out loud.
Che's Lounge @ 26:
I was at the meeting for about 2 hours and there were a few people who spoke directly to Martin posing that very question.
The FCC looks like a typical blue blood neocon lacky twit. Put someone young and incompetent in charge, just like Kyle Sampson at the Justice Department. Disgusting. The only good part is the guy looked positively uncomfortable, which was kind of funny.
Meanwhile up the I-5 from Seattle is Vancouver Canada, a media market where one company, Canwest Global, owns 2 televisions stations, both daily papers and nearly all the biweekly community papers in the surrounding area. The situation is bloody awful, and our federal regulatory version of your FCC (the CRTC) is about as toothless and corrupt as it gets. One voice MSM is the devil, pure and simple.
DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH IT!
These monopolies need to be crushed. Dissent is essential for democracy to flourish. Our grandparents didn't die fighting Nazis for these corrupt and treasonous assholes to take over.
Got to love Seattle. Short notice and a serious crowd develops against whatever it is that is trying to be rammed down your collective throats. I miss them dearly.
Isn't it funny that conservatives hate communist central control, unless it's referring to the media?
These public hearings are a sham - the decisions have already been made in those "smoke-filled rooms" in DC and NY. The spoils have already been divvied up and the public be damned. Really, does anyone who reads/posts on C&L not know that the folks who are running our nation and moving toward the fascist NWO will do what they want when they want to?? What we think, do or say, does not matter. Our so-called representatives in the Congress are useless, spineless syncophants. They represent only what will keep them in office and on the gravy train. I do not know how we can make the changes necessary to take back our government, our nation and our Constitution - but I have the feeling we will need to speed up the learning curve very quickly in the near future.
Bush has had the foxes guarding the henhouse at every government agency and they have all suffered. Media consolidation will make it that much easier to monitor and control what people hear and read. It's a disaster.
Interesting.
I attended both hearings in Los Angeles on this issue, attended by Kevin Martin before he "had to catch a plane" during the second hearing. (evidently he had something more important to do than serving the public interest)
The first hearing was standing room only, a very angry crowd, and in both hearings not a single person voiced in support of consolidation. In fact, the hearings aired quite a few examples of FCC negligence at the wheel that I hadn't heard about.
Martin's a corporate twit and nothing more. The hearings were a sham before they'd even begun, and I suspect everyone in both venues eventually realized it.
Kevin Martin:
What an arrogant little elite piece of shit. I want to know what connections put him where he is. What silver spoon he was endowed with.
They plan to control this media as long and hard as they can. It is the only card they have now. They understand there are a lot of people that have been shut down and out of the information system and are pretty much beholden to the bull shit and lie's they spew.
They plan to again high jack our elections, with the same old dirty tricks, only this time we have built up the forces so great all over this country, even those that are not prevy to all the information, are getting enough to know that Bush and these right wing media's thugs, as well as these major corporations are crooks
Why is it that I find little repuglican pricks like Kevin Martin so damned attractive? I want to tie them all up and spank'em. You're next Kevin after you watch me do Pat McHenry. Victory!
bilhelm-X @ 48:
You're attracted to dweebish girly manboys? You have my utmost sympathy. I bet Neil Cavuto is easy pickins...
I never miss Bill Moyers if I can help it. It is the best hour on the tube. Kevin Martin was so pissed off by the Seattle 'hearing' it was the only fun thing to watch. I wonder who he is related to or sleeping with to get the job. I hated guys like hime 40 years ago in college and I hate 'em today. Smug little ---- can't find a word nasty enough.
bilhelm-X @ 48:
Cause and effect. Many attractive and ... uh, not necessarily in a butch way (like Sean Connery)... men overcompensate when they feel they might be perceived as attractive to other men, or even gay themselves. So a lot of them become hating Republicans (even if they ARE gay). Pretty sad really.
Looks like a typical arrogant young Republican dipshit to me (but then my tastes run more towards the likes of Nicole Kidman types). Anyway...
There IS something to the argument that the FCC was only originally designed to assign frequencies, rather than the huge censorship and media business regulation roll they have now. Congress should get on that.
Martin already knows what he is. His wife gave him a tongue lashing and gave him his marching orders. "You are the majority on the damn FCC and we will get what we want. We need to sew up the media to make it impossible for the mocrates to rule
in 09. You do as your damn well told and you do it now!"
This is only one of hundreds of examples of Martin breaching his oath to serve the interest of the country and to uphold it's constitution. Who's surprised by that? A human piece of excrement hand picked by chimpy co.
I was surprised that the fine people of Seattle did show up and exorcise their nearly extinct write to public discourse. They must have known that no amount of discussion was ever going to change the decision that was already bought and paid for 3 years ago. This is only part of the huge payback that darth and chimpy gladly promised the "bush friendly media" back in '04.
Remember what real news used to be? Now you have to go to a foreign country to see what a free press is all about. Once the final dissenting voices are silenced, the coffin lid will be closed and the US can finally rest in pieces.
Today in the Dallas Morning Nudes, Lucianne Goldberg's brat was lecturing his readers about how news and entertainments has merged under Colbert and Stewart. Funny he didn't mention the late non-lamented Half Hour Comedy Hour, Ben Stein or even rash limpballs and (m)ann coulter. They're often treated like the reichwingers spokesmen until they raise enough outrage, and then it's, "But they're only comedians."
Back in '88 Pat Robertson couldn't figure out whether he was an evangelist or a broadcaster.
No, the problem that Goldberg failed to point out is media consolidation. He works for National Review, but magazines, newspapers, and TV news all have merged under 5 corporations who only are concerned with the bottom line, not accuracy. The National Review's head is wee-willy krystol(nacht) who's still being presented as a political sage despite being wrong every step of the way in Iraq. And along with the rest of the PNAC crowd got us trapped in the duck shoot we call Iraq.
Is this baby-faced yutz yet another graduate of Liberty "University?"
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