Comments on: New FCC rules will let a single company own a town's ISP, newspapers, 2 TV stations and 8 radio stations

By: robuluz

robuluz — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 07:49:00 +0000

Its not sarcasm. But when I am discussing the point of regulating media ownership, I’m talking about the regulation of media ownership in general, not the effect of these FCC rules on the greater body of regulation.

The post above appears to imply that regulation in general creates barriers to entry, but maybe I misunderstood it.

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 02 Dec 2012 02:25:00 +0000

The iPad was not the first computer…

By: Lewis Colon

Lewis Colon — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 15:17:00 +0000

Hearst was also a major cause of our 70 year drug war/failure as well. Still costing us over a trillion dollars…

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:31:00 +0000

Can’t tell if Sarcasm or doesn’t understand the point/outcome of the legislation…

By: ocker3

ocker3 — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 13:30:00 +0000

Uh, I’m talking about the dangers free media might face if further consolidation is allowed, and you’re saying that things are currently fine.

Your point doesn’t seem to speak to my point, unless you’re speaking about a specific time period, but I don’t see that in your post.

Are you saying Hearst Didn’t send America to war with Spain (or at the very least, faster than it would have happened anyway and potentially on a larger scale) by printing fake stories?

By: Charlie B

Charlie B — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 08:06:00 +0000

The proof of how sad this is, is that by comparison NPR is not right wing propaganda.

By: milwaukeewobbly

milwaukeewobbly — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 04:49:00 +0000

See above.

By: milwaukeewobbly

milwaukeewobbly — Sat, 01 Dec 2012 04:48:00 +0000

I’m not so sure. Look at Syria. All internet & cell service shut down. Yes, by the State, but there’s not so much seperation beyween Media & State these days in the USA.

By: Josh Allen

Josh Allen — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:24:00 +0000

Here in columbus ohio our local conservative newspaper has bought out the two alternative newspapers, and our airwaves are run by one or two conservative companies. We still have NPR, but other than that, it is all right wing propaganda 24-7. We are not a small town. We are the 16 largest city in the U.S.

By: Eric09

Eric09 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 18:21:00 +0000

Some rural towns just started getting broadband a couple years ago, so I’m not sure exactly what history he’s referring to.

By: MTBooks

MTBooks — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:24:00 +0000

This “antiquated” law/act/whatever would let them own local ISPs, aka most local access to the internet. It does matter and it does affect the internet.

By: wysinwyg

wysinwyg — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:24:00 +0000

Sorry…it was old rural people who popularized computers and the internet? In which secret history was this recorded?

By: MythicalMe

MythicalMe — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:46:00 +0000

As a guy who is 52 and knows a lot of people in my age group and older, living in a rural area, I can say with confidence that we do get our news from a wide variety of sources. Yes we know the pleasure of reading a newspaper, and we are more likely to have a radio on, but don’t forget that we did popularize computers, the Internet and many of us still innovate using our devices and gadgets.

By: jandrese

jandrese — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:33:00 +0000

The worst part was that the story was a non news item.

President and failed candidate still need to consume food to survive, may have discussed something. News at 11.

By: Lemoutan

Lemoutan — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:27:00 +0000

We’d better stop funding longevity research then. Imagine Ol’ Rupe still around in 2112.

By: Nillerz

Nillerz — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 15:04:00 +0000

I would like it if any mention of “Women and People of Color” were simply replaced with “Everyone except white dudes”.

By: Michael Crumpton

Michael Crumpton — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:41:00 +0000

I am pretty sure that for the over 40 set in the Red States at least, the primary source of news is still TV and dead trees.

By: msbpodcast

msbpodcast — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:21:00 +0000

As the oligarchs win (and Ol' Rupe is the quintessential definition of an oligarch) you have to realize that they aren't fighting with the same weapons or on the same ground as us. Their goals aren't the same either. They have millennial problems and eventually leave those problems behind. Like Alexander the Great, they leave their little empires to the strongest, because they don't have a choice. Their only exit is exactly the same as Steve Jobs: they die. What comes after is always the same, their heirs never have the same passion, drive, luck, cussedness, touch of evil and je ne sais quoi that made them rise. Eventually everything winds down, gracefully or it becomes rapidly unmanageable and break down messily. If you're lucky, what's left behind is a foundation devoted to perpetuating itself and doing charitable works. If you're not lucky, what's left causes a rapid redistribution of wealth and blood shed. Eventually the next bunch will be obsoleted by new technology just like this technology was obsoleted.

By: Lucas Sallovitz

Lucas Sallovitz — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 14:02:00 +0000

I remember 3 years ago when Argentina passed a law to avoid these kinds of things that was titled something like “Argentina attacks free press”, funny eh?

By: anchorsaway12

anchorsaway12 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:39:00 +0000

I fail to see how our media can get any less diverse. I flipped channels between the major evening news broadcasts last night and they all covered exactly the same stories with exactly the same information. I don’t care whether they are owned by the same outfit or not – we are being fed the same s**t. Oh, have you heard about the menu for the Romney-Obama lunch yesterday? I have; about 28 times.

By: ant0

ant0 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 13:19:00 +0000

The previous FCC chair Michael Powell was a neo-con yesman and son of former Sec. of State Colin Powell. When his commission tried the same maneuver a few years back there was a MASSIVE public outcry. In fact, the comment period that preceded their decision formed the largest body of comment in FCC history with the overwhelming majority of the comments from the public voicing serious concern over further ownership deregulation.

Of course the public record was completely ignored and the republican controlled commission voted to deregulate anyway- no surprise there? The surprise came when activists and lawyers from the prometheus radio project and media access project sued the FCC – and won ! That decision was repeatedly upheld on appeal by a panel of federal circuit court judges. These guys are appointed for life and do not typically have the reputation for being “unfriendly” to business interests so one can only imagine the utter BS that the FCC was pushing as a justification for this disasterous and sweeping change.

Yet here we go again- meet the new boss, same as the old boss! Its a Democratic commission now with Genachowski at the helm but here we see the EXACT same shameful anti-democratic policies. Will it take yet another federal lawsuit to stop these shenanigans? The embarrassing defeat in the media cross ownership lawsuit was pretty much the defining moment of Powell’s career as commissioner. After dropping the ball at the FCC he ended up as a “fellow” at the American Enterprise Institute- one thing about those neo-cons- win or lose they take care of their own ! Will this be Chairman Genchowski’s legacy as well ???

By: personagratin

personagratin — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:53:00 +0000

So CBS recently brought another FM radio station in NYC to simulcast their AM sports station (WFAN). The radio watchers were trying to figure out how they could do that, since they already hit their max of 8 stations (2 TV stations and 6 radio). Well, the second TV station is on the tip of Long Island (about 70 miles), and CBS is making the case that since you can’t listen to their radio stations that far, NYC is its own “cluster”, and the tip of LI is a second “cluster”.

The gristly details: http://www.fybush.com/nerw-10152012-unpacking-the-new-wfan-fm/

By: Boundegar

Boundegar — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:44:00 +0000

…except all those voters whose choices you find inconceivable.

By: onefool

onefool — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:44:00 +0000

Wrong! The mouth breathers listen to AM hate radio all day and watch crappy FOX news. A move like this will consolidate the fear mongers grip over a local market. And possibly deliver an ISP into their grasp too, which is a very Bad IDEA.

By: onefool

onefool — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 12:43:00 +0000

shared on facebook and posted to Fark.com and Slashdot.org

this is absolutely insane and the FCC is out of their damn minds for even suggesting this

By: Gordon Stark

Gordon Stark — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:45:00 +0000

Media consolidation is the greatest threat to security in our times. By some measures, it is too late.

By: robuluz

robuluz — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:18:00 +0000

Wait, what? Isn’t the entire purpose of this regulation to ensure market competition? If the market was unregulated it would be monopolised almost instantly wouldn’t it?

By: Rider

Rider — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 11:03:00 +0000

Antiquated laws that no longer mater thanks to the internet.

No one is even reading, watching, or listening to local media anymore.

By: bryan rasmussen

bryan rasmussen — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:32:00 +0000

Luckily Rupert Murdoch will never be able to get his greedy fingers into Pottersville.

By: Lemoutan

Lemoutan — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 09:29:00 +0000

What’s a ‘newspaper’? What are these ‘TV’ and ‘radio’ stations of which you speak?