Sunday, November 18, 2007

Government hearings about media ownership and concentration in the US

From Bill Moyers Journal on PBS in the US:

"On November 2, 2007, FCC Chairman Kevin Martin announced that the Commission would hold the sixth and final public hearing on media consolidation November 9, 2007 in Seattle, Washington. Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein blasted the Chairman's decision to give the public only five business days notice before the hearing: 'With such short notice, many people will be shut out ... This is outrageous and not how important media policy should be made.'

The Seattle hearing was contentious — reflecting the aptness Chairman Martin's opening words to the Seattle meeting:

'The decisions we will make about our ownership rules will be as difficult as they are critical. The media touches almost every aspect of our lives.'"

What is of particular concern here is the FCC's intention to lift the ban for the ownership of newspapers, television and radio and the distinct propsect that in many American cities the same company could own own media outlet.

Read more and watch the programme...

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