Chairman Martin, what part of the word ‘NO’ don’t you understand?
The NYTimes is reporting that FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is rushing a plan to ease caps on Media Ownership through rulemaking in the next two months. This plan would allow huge media conglomerates to own a newspaper, TV station and radio station in the same city. Right now, as expected, the two Republican Commissioners support Martin, while the two Dems are opposing him. The Times quotes Martin as saying, “We’ve had six hearings around the country already; we’ve done numerous studies; we’ve been collecting data for the last 18 months; and the issues have been pending for years. I think it is an appropriate time to begin a discussion to complete this rule-making and complete these media ownership issues.”
Martin is pushing this through in a way that will leave commenting time short and will most likely end up putting him in the same fix that his predecessor, Powell, ended up in– being overruled in the Courts by appeal.
Now, about those six meetings . . .
Each one of those meetings saw an overwhelming response against further media consolidation, and a plea to roll back the rule changes that were made earlier, since the existing media consolidation has hurt localism, hurt minority ownership, and damaged our democracy.
So I ask you, FCC Chairman Martin– What part of the word NO don’t you understand? We, The People, have told you over and over and over again that Media Consolidation HURTS the people you are entrusted to protect. So why is it that you are kissing the big fat butts of the Media Conglomerates? Could it be that you’re angling for a well paid position upon leaving the FCC if the Dems take the Presidency in 2008? Or are you just continuing to kiss the Lame Duck Bush behind?
To put this in further perspective, Zell wants to wrap up his deal for the Trib prior to the first of the year. This rule change would allow him to do so. In light of past FCC history where documents that showed that Media Consolidation was bad were buried, and recent questions about the FCC leaking information to the Telecomms prior to rulemaking to give them unfair advantage, this could be a bid by Martin to push through yet another shady Corporate Deal. One has to wonder what Martin stands to gain from this if he’s successful.
However, I don’t think that’s going to happen. Senator Dorgan was quoted in the NYTimes: “If the chairman intends to do something by the end of the year,” Mr. Dorgan added, his voice rising, “then there will be a firestorm of protest and I’m going to be carrying the wood.”
Technorati Tags: Media Consolidation, FCC, Chairman Kevin Martin, Zell
