Congress May Overturn FCC's Media Consolidation Plan

Spril writes "A congressional committee voted yesterday to prevent the FCC from allowing even more consolidation of the media industry. The original ruling was covered on Slashdot. The committee attached the pro-consumer proposal to a bill funding the Justice and State departments for 2004. But the Bush administration has threatened to veto the funding because they support ever-larger corporations owning ever-bigger chunks of the spectrum that theoretically belongs to the public. Clear Channel may need to cough up some more money for their lobbyists."

Comments

On this day, July 17th, 2003...

[chrisgeleven]

...the United States of America Congress for approx. 1.257631919191918 seconds sided with consumers.

Re:On this day, July 17th, 2003...

[andrew_mike]

...the United States of America Congress for approx. 1.257631919191918 seconds sided with consumers.

Yes, but, to the androids in Congress, that is an eternity.

Re:On this day, July 17th, 2003...

[transient]

There's something about a number with 15 digits of precision that doesn't seem very "approximate" to me!

Attached to the bill

[perimorph]

The committee attached the pro-consumer proposal to a bill funding the Justice and State departments for 2004.

Finally, an attachment that might be safe to open!! *Proceeds to double-click in Outlook*

Re:Attached to the bill

[Mikey-San]

Sadly, though, you just sent this message to everyone in your address book:


To: [multiple recipients]
From: perimorph

Attachments: govtbill.pif

Subject: Check this out

perimorph! This is that game we were talking about. You'll be amazed, no lie.

Check it out when you have the time!

later, %N

--End of message

Re:Attached to the bill

[Daetrin]

That's more believeable that most of the virus attachment emails i've gotten so far. You obviously have a bright and shining career as a virus author ahead of you.

I almost forgot

[KU_Fletch]

"Defenders of the recent FCC ruling said that critics were exaggerating its impact and that networks had to get bigger to continue providing free broadcast television"

You know, I had almost forgotten that you could get TV without cable or satellite. Silly luddites and their airwave TV.

In case people are wondering.

[brodin]

The definition of struthious. It means ostrich-like for those who don't want to click.

Perspective

[tilleyrw]

The Clear Channel page that is linked to by an earlier article can be summed up neatly as follows:

Please ignore that we are gobbling up every bit of free radio spectrum available upon which to slather our corporate feces. Ignore that the original legislation meant that they were to be used by the public, and in the interest of the public.

Please give us, a media conglomerate with the power to decide what the people (i.e., your constituents) hear and see, the power to spew forth only what is approved by the Powers That Be.

Let us ensure that you govern a docile and easily molded nation.

Re:That is not it, it is fundraising.

[arkane1234]

This would be a really bad place for a Soviet Russia joke I'd imagine...