Slashdot Mirror
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."
Oh come on. This is the second post I've seen that bitches about that line, but it's not editorializing! It's the honest-to-God TRUTH! I noticed that neither of you tried to deny the veracity of the statement, just the way it which is was said. BTW, I don't see this as a Republican versus Democrat issue; both parties are corporate stooges. It's just that Republicans are often the most egregious offenders.
I reckon you're just used to the way the media likes to frame the wholesale corporate hijacking of our airwaves, which are, (or "were") in theory, public-owned. The media, to say the least, likes to phrase it delicately, but why should that be surprising? This is all about media control, is it not? And you don't think Tom Brokaw is going to raise his fist in the air on TV and yell, "Power to the people!" and still have a job tomorrow, do you? The hierarchical structure and constricting cultural climate of corporate life negates this possibility without the need for enforcement. It's a clear danger to democracy, and it's spreading.
Orwell was damn close, but he forgot about big business. The real danger is the unholy alliance between business and government. Once all the "voices" in society are all filtered through the government and big business, what room is there for the individual? Group-Think. Corporate-Speak. These are not just the fodder for a million Dilbert comics; it is the stupefying sound of the banality of evil.
please mod parent up. Vote DEAN or whatever democrat runs in 2003. We never elected bush in the first place, and having him re-elected is just salt onto the wounds of smart americans and the international community. honestly, greens, libertarians, etc. are just votes wasted. Did anyone else notice that the california clean-air mandate was toppled by oil/car business friendly bush? does anyone else care about our fuckin AIR? p.s. dean voted against the war