OK, I started with what may happen to the Internet in terms of our freedom to access the information we want on the web if Citizen Hunters don't stand up and take action now. Some of you e-mailed wanting to know about the evils of media consolidation I alluded to in the post.
We are blessed to live in a great democracy and our media system should reflect that. The public's trust in the media, its accuracy and its independence are at an all-time low due to well-publicized scandals and the tendency to focus on high ratings. This tendency often means that the information Citizen Hunters and the American public need and deserve is put on the back burner for the most titillating flavor of the moment. But the media's problems run even deeper.
Consider this:
Five corporate conglomerates control the four big networks, which make up over 70% of prime time viewing. They own most cable channels, lots of radio stations, Internet sites, movie studios, publishing houses - you name it. In other words, only a handful of people dictate what you read, hear, and watch.
Independent newspapers, radio and TV stations are disappearing by the day. Over half of the markets in the country are one-newspaper towns! Minority ownership is at its lowest point in 10 years. Clear Channel owns 1,200 radio stations alone. Educational programing for children is being gutted, replaced by more profitable shows. I could go on and on.
All of this is being done on "our" airwaves I might add. The public owns the airwaves and big media pays us nothing for what many estimate is worth over $350 billion. Yes, that's billion with a "B". We own the airwaves and yet they - Big Media - don't watch out for the public interest.
We are also getting hosed at the cable box, a fact that I'm sure you are already painfully aware of. Cable companies, with their deep pockets, lobbied and got more deregulation in order to "save" us, the consumers, more money. I have yet to meet anyone who thinks they are saving money on their cable bill. And of course they're right: Average cable rates have increased 50% since deregulation took place. Why is Big Media so good at getting legislation that helps them and hurts you? Campaign cash is one reason. But it's not too late to reverse course! Some Citizen Hunters thought their voices and interests should be heard as much as the special interests; they stood up and as a result this year many rollbacks that would have made things worse were stopped cold.
To get more information and take action visit Freepress.net - I love their tag line, "Reform Media, Transform Democracy!"
UPDATE: One more way to stop big media: Support the Community Broadband Act.
Countering efforts by big telephone and cable companies to outlaw municipal broadband, schools, community groups, local government would be able to provide cheaper and more affordable internet access to many Americans who are being left behind the digital devide. Big Media does not want the competition or local control. Sens. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) are taking Big Media one and recently introduced S. 1294, the Community Broadband Act of 2005.
The Lautenberg-McCain bill would "preserve and protect the ability of local governments to provide broadband capability and services." This legislation would ensure that local communities could decide for themselves how to best serve the technology needs of their own citizens.
Big Media is spending lots of money to lobby on this issue to be sure, but Citizen Hunters are a force to be reckoned with. Please call your senators today and urge them to co-sponsor the Community Broadband Act.
UPDATE 9/16: FCC has FCC-commissioned report showing that greater concentration of media ownership hurts local TV news coverage "disappeared."
Comments (8)
Didja ever notice that right after yet another major government scandal, OUR airwaves are filled with the latest sex/murder/gossip story of the week?
Didja ever notice the absence of music from OUR airwaves from people who have spoken out against government incompetence and mismanagement?
Big business will say it is "only business", and I will agree with them there. It is OUR business and it's time we took back control.
Please go to Freepress. It is a great tool for the Citizen Hunter to take back controlling interest in OUR business. I only knew of its existence yesterday and I will do what I can to let them know who really is in charge and who is "nuts" for thinking they control OUR business.
Posted by: Joe on April 13, 2006 07:42
I look forward for more from this site. It challenges me, inspires me, and makes me remember that there is a world out there that needs us to be the country we were meant to be and citizens that we have to be. I'll be calling them today.
Posted by: Gwen on April 13, 2006 16:58
Keep up the great work. You are an inspiration to all of us.
Posted by: Steve on April 14, 2006 21:03
Congress should not be so quick to approve all these mergers, very scary. Total conspiracy, it is no wonder I have never heard of this un-American state of affairs. The people who are suppose to be letting me know about it won't because they are the bad guys. We need more voices and more choices. I'm going to write these greedy CEO's tommorow to let them know enough is enough. Get away from my internet!! They will probably shut you down just for telling us about it.
Posted by: Crazy Fred on April 17, 2006 00:10
OK, so there is a consolidation of media companies. Does that mean we have less options? Absolutely not. I can turn on my TV and pick from hundreds of channels on a multitude of different topics.
Flavia's comment, "Educational programing for children is being gutted, replaced by more profitable shows" just doesn't make sense. When I was growing up we had Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Electric Company and some cartoons on Saturday. Now my 3 year old son has about five different stations completely devoted to him, not to mention my access to OnDemand programming and DVDs. The fact that this is profitable does not diminish any educational content. You don't think Sesame Street is trying to make a profit? Check out Toys R Us next time and see how many Elmo toys there are out there.
As for the rest of us, there is media content out there that our parents never dreamed of. The media companies don't have a big list of stuff they want to promote. They are market-driven. If the people want it, we will get it.
Stop trying to find conspiracies everywhere.
Posted by: Bill on April 18, 2006 08:56
Bill, In my opinion, educational programming is being gutted and being replaced by more profitable shows. Is there anything necessarily wrong with that?
In my opinion, Sesame Street and the old line PBS children's shows teach a different value set I prefer for my children to learn by degrees than the new shows you allude to.
We all have different thresholds for proof of the gutting of public programming. The investigation and subsequent resignation of a political operative and crony from PBS after it was discovered there was a blatant attempt to alter that value set is proof enough for me.
Now there is nothing wrong with one group wanting to promote their ideology at the expense of another. That is the way our system works, a check and balance that is a part of a healthy decision making and debate process. I'll admit as much, but to think that what we watch and the agendas of any large organization, PBS included, is entirely market driven smacks of the conspiracy theorist alter ego, the man with the head in the sand. I know that most people like you and I are not entirely one or the other.
Regardless of what side of the ideological fence you sit on, or even if you are not political at all, it serves our children for us to be neither conspiracist nor naive, but to have a healthy skepticism of what they are watching and listening to.
In the end, we as parents or concerned citizens such as you and I should not leave it up to the market (agenda free or not) to decide what is best for our children. That is something I know we can all agree on.
Posted by: Gil on April 18, 2006 09:44
Gil, you are absolutely correct that the market should not determine what my kids watch. That is up to me. But I am part of the market. With the increasing interest in child development, I think the market has responded with better options for parents. Look at TV. On my digital cable, I have an entire channel (Sprout) devouted to PBS children's programming. This included Sesame Street as well as newer shows such as Thomas, Bob the Builder, etc. Although I may not enjoy all of them (I do like Thomas), I do find educational value in the shows. They teach life lessons like cooperation, sharing, humility, trust and friendship. They may be packaged and glossy, but there is substance. Likewise on the Disney Channel, my son can watch the Wiggles, the Doodlebops and other shows with good messages. Of paticular note on Disney is Little Einsteins, which exposes kids to classical art and music.
I know there is a lot of garbage out there, but that is not the result of some grand plan by the media conglomerates. Look at the tops shows on TV and I ask you to find some hidden agenda. How does "Lost," "American Idol," "Desparate Housewives," "CSI," "Grey's Anatomy" and "60 Minutes" all tie together. I'll tell you, it's because that's what people want to watch. Networks (and other media outlets) want to make a profit. They are businesses and have a responsibility to their shareholders. If "Masterpiece Theater" could draw 20 million viewers, it would be on primetime.
Posted by: Bill on April 18, 2006 10:26
GOOD EVENING FLAVIA,
THANKS FOR THE RELENTLESS-TIRESOME BURDEN YOU ARE FIGHTING 4 ALL,TO RETAIN OUR RIGHTS NOT LOSE THEM..I HIGHLY COMMEND YOU FOR THAT MS.COLGAN...
AS I TRIED PRESENTING VARIOUS MEDIA OUTLETS, WITH A FACTUAL STORY,DEALING WITH MY VIGILANCE THAT RESULTED IN MOST WANTED TERRORISTS BEING CAPTURED IN FLORIDA-5/29/04...IT IS OBVIOUS THAT
THIS ADMINISTRATION,HAS GONE TO GREAT LENGHTS TO COVER THIS MATTER UP,SANITIZING IT FROM EVERYONES' MIND SO THAT THE REWARDS DO NOT GET PAID...COMMON SENSE KNOWLEDGE FAILS TO COMPREHEND,THAT SOMEONE WHO HAS DONE HIS NATION WELL,ONLY TO GET-N-BE SCREWED FOR HIS SERVICES,HAS REPURCUSSIONS OF THE CAUSE-N-EFFECT
SCENARIO...SORRY TO SAY,THAT WHICH IS OWED TO ME,
HAS BEEN SPENT I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY "FOLDS-OVER"
FOR THE LIES,DECEIT-N-CORRUPTION REGARDING THESE MATTERS...
TREASON,TREASON-N-MORE TREASON IS ALL THAT IS TAKING PLACE TODAY-YET NOONE HAS THE BRASS BALLS,TO TELL IT LIKE IT IS-THEN ONE WONDERS WHY,ALL THESE DISASTERS,CALAMITIES,ETC.ARE INCREASING AT LIGHTING SPEED...THE SINS OF OUR GOVT.-THE MANIPULATION THE PRESS PLAYS ALL HAVE
RESULTS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL...LOOK AT THIS ADMIN. THE POWER OF PRAYER CAN TOPPLE IT,AS WELL AS DESTROY IT FROM EVER SUCCEEDING-YOU CAN BET YOUR BOTTOM DOLLAR,THAT IS MY WISH FOR ALL THE FUCKING BULLSHIT-THIS ADMIN. PUT ME THROUGH FOR DEFENDING MY NATION IN TIMES OF CRISIS...
NOW I HAVE TO SPEAK WITH SUCH FORCE/CLARITY WHENEVER I DO FORWARD SOMETHING TO THE WORTHLESS,
BRAINWASHED PRESS-TELLING THEM DO NOT BE FOUND GUILTY BY ASSOCIATION...SOME SEEM TO BE WAKING UP TO THE GAMES BEING PLAYED,HOWEVER I BELIEVE IT IS BEYOND REPAIR...ISSUES OF MAJOR IMPORTANCE
ARE PUT ASIDE FOR THE STUPIDEST ASSINE REPORTING...
LIKE THE HOLLOWAY GIRL,SHE WAS SHARK-BAIT LONG-AGO,I HATE TO SAY THIS,YET IT SEEMS THE MOST LOGICAL...I WAS WAITING TO HEAR ABOUT A BOAT,THEN BANG SOMEONE WITH A BOAT BECAME SUSPECT,THEN NOTHING BECOMES OF IT...
THE ALUMINUM POLES STOLEN IN D.C. -WHY- WELL THEY CAN BE USED FOR CENTRIFUGES-NOONE EVERY ENTERTAINED THIS SCENARIO-N-THE LIST GOES ON-N-ON...HOPEFULLY THE MEDIA WILL TURN THE TIDE-N-STOP BEING DICTATED TO-N-BE FREE-N-INDEPENDENT,
FROM GOVT. BRAINWASHING,TELLING WHAT TO REPORT-N-
HOW FAR THEY CAN REPORT IT...TO ME THAT IS NOT FREE PRESS-N-PRESENTLY THAT IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE...
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SHARE THIS PRINCESS...
Posted by: nationalsecurity4us on April 22, 2006 22:59