[Peace-discuss] Fwd: Tell Congress to stop what's really indecent about the media: consolidation.

[Alfred Kagan]

>Date: Wed, 11 Feb 2004 13:45:54 -0500
>Subject: Tell Congress to stop what's really indecent about the 
>media: consolidation.
>From: Robert McChesney <info at mediareform.net>
>To: info at mediareform.net
>Reply-To: rmcchesney at mediareform.net
>
>Congress is having high-profile hearings to debate the crisis in 
>American media.
>
>Media concentration? Nope -- indecency.
>
>Spurred on by Janet Jackson's Super Bowl antics, Congress has 
>decided to try to address the issue of television's 'race to the 
>bottom.' Their answer? Increasing token fines on broadcasters that 
>push the envelope with explicit content.
>
>We need your help to get Congress to focus on what's truly obscene: 
>Big Media getting any bigger.
>
>The Super Bowl half-time show is just the latest example of synergy 
>gone wild -- CBS (which aired the game) and MTV (which produced the 
>half-time show) are corporate cousins in the Viacom media empire. 
>And last summer, the FCC passed rules that will allow media giants 
>like Viacom to get even bigger, narrowing the range of debate and 
>stifling minority and independent voices. It has to stop.  Members 
>of Congress are focused on the media today--we've got to tell them 
>what really matters to us.
>
>We need you to call your representative in Congress. Urge him or her 
>to co-sponsor House Joint Resolution 72, the resolution of 
>disapproval that would roll back the new FCC rules. We need you to 
>tell them that the real solution to the problems of our media has to 
>address the root cause: the growing concentration of media ownership.
>
>Click here for your representative's information and detailed 
>instructions: http://www.mediareform.net/callcongress.php
>
>Forward this to everyone you know who cares about fostering a truly 
>democratic media.
>
>----------------
>Last summer, the Federal Communications Commission passed rules that 
>would allow media giants like Viacom to get even bigger, not only 
>speeding along the 'race to the bottom' but narrowing the range of 
>debate, focusing on celebrity over policy, reducing elections to 
>horse races, stifling minority viewpoints, and barraging us with 
>advertising.
>
>Millions of Americans last year told Congress and the FCC that we're 
>asking for more trouble if we allow the FCC's relaxation of media 
>ownership limits to stand. That decision allows a single company to 
>buy multiple TV stations, eight radio stations, the biggest 
>newspaper, and the cable system in a given community. Media 
>concentration has led to less children's programming, cuts in 
>newsroom staff, a decline in minority-owned media, and the stifling 
>of independent voices.
>
>Congress tried and failed to solve this problem in 2003.  We cannot 
>allow them to ignore the issue in 2004.  It's up to us to get our 
>representatives to commit to truly democratic policies--like 
>reversing the FCC's media ownership decision.
>
>Right now is a critical moment. Take 3 minutes and make a difference.
>
>Sincerely,
>
>The Free Press Team
>
>P.S.: While most of the action today seems to be taking place in 
>Washington, the real story is actually unfolding in Philadelphia. 
>There, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit will hear 
>oral arguments today regarding the new FCC rules. For the most 
>recent information regarding this groundbreaking case, visit 
>http://www.mediareform.net/media/philadelphia.php .
>
>P.P.S.: Stay up to date on news relating to media reform with our 
>free daily headline service. Sign up at 
>http://www.mediareform.net/news/deliveries.php . Give it a try; both 
>subscribing and unsubscribing are easy.
>
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-- 


Al Kagan
African Studies Bibliographer and Professor of Library Administration
Africana Unit, Room 328
University of Illinois Library
1408 W. Gregory Drive
Urbana, IL 61801, USA

tel. 217-333-6519
fax. 217-333-2214
e-mail. akagan at uiuc.edu