Fake news is only the beginning. The FCC is about to let monopolies decide what local news you see

[babylonsister]

http://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/article183246581.html

Fake news is only the beginning. The FCC is about to let monopolies decide what local news you see

By Sue Wilson

Special to McClatchy

November 07, 2017 2:56 PM


What would happen if the politician you love to hate was indicted, but your local news didn’t report it? No newspaper stories, no TV news, no radio news on the hour, nothing.

Couldn’t happen? Think again.

The Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission will vote Nov. 16 to allow just one corporation to own the local newspaper plus every commercial TV station in your town. Nifty way to reduce down to just one newsroom then dictate whatever information that corporation does – and does not – want you to know in this democracy.

This is a watershed moment. Ten years from now, people could look at their local news reporting and wonder how it ever went so wrong.

It’s exactly what’s happened with radio. Back in the day when lots of companies owned 40 radio stations, the broadcast industry made big promises that local information would be much more diverse if they could simply own many more stations. The 1996 Telecommunications Act resulted in a handful of corporations owning thousands of stations – and force feeding conservative programming down our country’s throats ever since, no debate, no opposing opinions allowed.

The Media Action Center showed during the Scott Walker recall in Wisconsin that “conservative” radio giants there gave millions of dollars in free airtime to the GOP candidate – while refusing to allow a single Democrat on the air at all. GOP operatives there still gloat about radio winning elections for them. After 21 years of this kind of divisive public policy, 60 million people listen to conservative radio, about the same number that voted for Donald Trump.

Now the FCC is quietly trying to do the same thing to our local TV stations. In 2003, when they just tried to allow TV stations to own newspapers, 3 million people rose up and said “No!” Now they want to allow the newspapers plus all the TV stations in one town to have the same owner, and they’re not even asking for public comment.

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/opinion/article183246581.html

[a kennedy]

1. Why did I know that Wanker was involved.....hes the poster boy for this shit.

“The Media Action Center showed during the Scott Walker recall in Wisconsin that “conservative” radio giants there gave millions of dollars in free airtime to the GOP candidate – while refusing to allow a single Democrat on the air at all. GOP operatives there still gloat about radio winning elections for them. After 21 years of this kind of divisive public policy, 60 million people listen to conservative radio, about the same number that voted for Donald Trump.”

I just despise these people.

[The_Casual_Observer]

2. Local news in LA is nothing but murders and traffic fatalities. I doubt it could get much worse, but

I suppose there is room.

[tymorial]

3. Unrelated to your name but Anyone a Babylon 5 fan

I just finished a rematch and the similarities between fake news, our tyrant president and the show is striking. The show was 20 years ago.

[defacto7]

4. We cannot underestimate the seriousness

of this. It is the difference between freedom and slavery. Controlling what people hear, see, learn or seek is bondage and mind control. It's totalitarian. Information.. all information is an inalienable human right that surpasses laws and constitutions. It may not be writen into our system, but it's above systems. To think otherwise is against human nature and ends in disaster. Information is the stuff of life. It is life.

[spanone]

5. republicans are quickly destroying our democracy.