Speak Out Against Corporate News; FCC Hearing in SF

Peace Activists: Say no to corporate news! The FCC is coming to San Francisco on April 26! SATURDAY, APRIL 26 Noon, Rally and Press Conference 10 AM - 4 PM, Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Hearing City Hall, San Francisco (Civic Center BART station) While Secretary of State Colin Powell led the U.S. invasion against Iraq, his son, Michael Powell, head of the FCC, ramped up an attack on federal media regulations that could give the corporate media even more power than it already has. We have already seen the effects of the 1996 media deregulation: five television companies--General Electric (MSNBC and NBC), News Corp (Fox), Disney (ABC), AOL-Time Warner (CNN), and Viacom (CBS)--have a stranglehold on what information the public gets to know, and corporate radio behemoths like Clear Channel Communications devour local radio stations and replace them with McRadio. If Powell has his way, the situation will get even worse; there will be nothing standing in the way of media companies’ drive for profits at the expense of our democracy. TAKE ACTION—SPEAK OUT AGAINST MEDIA CONSOLIDATION AT THE FCC HEARING IN SAN FRANCISCO! Chairman Powell is trying to fast-track approval of his proposed media deregulation, but some of the other FCC commissioners, who realize that the public needs to be informed about the ramifications of unleashing the corporate media, are holding informal hearings in several parts of the country. Media Alliance has succeeded in securing a Bay Area public hearing, which will take place at San Francisco City Hall on Saturday, April 26, 10 AM – 4 PM. San Francisco activists of all stripes: this is our chance to say no to the Bush Administration’s push to give free reign to the corporate media. This is our chance to speak out against media that puts corporate profit ahead of journalism and truth-telling. We encourage you to come to the FCC hearing, which will be attended by FCC Commissioner Adelstein, who realizes his obligation to serving the public interest. And at Noon, come outside to get loud about McRadio, McTV, and the military invasion of the corporate media. Sponsored by Media Alliance, Global Exchange, CodePink, and others. For more information, 415-575-5555, info@media-alliance.org. WRITE TO THE FCC COMMISSIONERS AND THE SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE Tell the FCC Commissioners listede below that you oppose the proposed deregulation of the media. In fact, we need to strengthen our media ownership rules! Tell the Senators listed below that the Commerce Committee should hold hearings on the proposed changes in the regulations Prioritize these FCC Commissioners: Chairman Michael Powell, 202-418-1000, mpowell@fcc.gov Commissioner Kevin J. Martin: kjmweb@fcc.gov Prioritize these members of the Senate Commerce Committee: Senator John McCain, Phone: (202) 224-2235, Fax: (202) 228-2862 Senator Frtiz Hollings, Phone: (202) 224-6121 Barbara Boxer, Phone: (202) 224-3553 or (415) 403-0100 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Anyone who paid attention to the media coverage of the war on Iraq and the anti-war movement knows that peace and justice activists must prioritize wresting control of our media from profit-driven media corporations. In other parts of the world, TV viewers learned about the human costs of war—from images of injured and dead Iraqi civilians to interviews with hospitals and humanitarian workers. But on U.S. television, the war was presented as a video game, full of images that glorified U.S. weaponry and commentary by former military generals and “embedded” journalists whose identities blurred with those of their military units. This was the version of the war that the U.S. government wanted the public to believe—not the reality on the ground in Iraq. This was also the version of the war that media outlets believed would bring them viewers and advertising dollars. Our democracy cannot afford this approach to the news—be it news about the war, our economy, or any other political or social issue. The right to conduct an informed debate and discussion of current events is part of the founding philosophy of our nation. As it stands today, the broadcasting industry is failing to serve the public. Dissenting political viewpoints are routinely marginalized in national mainstream media, and the interests and perspectives of women, people of color, labor, local communities, and lesbians, gays and bisexuals are consistently underrepresented. Across the country, programming in the mass media that addresses local concerns is almost non-existent. If the FCC allows our media outlets to merge and consolidate further, there will be little opportunity to have an open, informed discussion from a wide variety of viewpoints. The following rules are being considered for modification or elimination by the FCC. A decision from the FCC is expected in early June 2003. •Newspaper/broadcast cross-ownership prohibition. Prevents broadcast TV companies from buying newspapers in communities in which they have TV stations. (Practical effect: NBC cannot buy Gannett News Service) •Local radio ownership limit. Limits the number of local radio stations that any one broadcaster can own in a single market. (Practical effect: right now Clear Channel can only own 8 stations in a local market.) •National TV ownership limit. Limits the number of local broadcast stations any one broadcast company can own to systems serving 35% of the TV households in the U.S. (Practical effect: Prevents Viacom/CBS from buying anymore broadcast systems, because it currently owns systems that reach 41% of the public. Prevents Fox/Newscorp (Rupert Murdoch) from owning the other half. •Local TV multiple ownership, aka “duopoly rule.” Allows a broadcast company to own two TV stations in the same market only if at least one of those stations is ranked below the top four stations and there are at least eight independently owned-and-operating, full-power and noncommercial television stations in that market. (Practical effect: Viacom/CBS can own PAX as long as PAX remains a low ranked station in that market.) •Radio/TV Cross-Ownership restriction. Prevents one company from owning both a radio station and a television station in the same market. (Practical effect: Clear Channel cannot now own TV stations in markets where it owns radio stations. Disney/ABC cannot control radio and TV stations in the same market.) These websites have more information about reclaiming the media: •Media Ownership Rules and the FCC, a pamphlet by Media Alliance and the Center for International Media Action: http://www.context.fm/fcc-guide_online.pdf •Reclaim the Media, www.reclaimthemedia.org •Center for Digital Democracy, www.democraticmedia.org •Media Alliance, www.media-alliance.org •Media Tank, www.mediatank.org