First priorities: build liberal TV network and strengthen AirAmerica

[Chomskyite]

We need a billionaire the likes of Rupert Murdoch or Richard Mellon Scaife to agree to bankroll our liberal media outlets till they get on their feet. Teresa Heinz-Kerry, George Soros, Warren Buffet, Harvey Weinstein, Jeffery Katzenberg, Stephen Speilberg? This is your calling!

And when we get these channels going, they need edge. I love Democracy Now! but my god is it humorless. The best influence to use for programming on a liberal network would be (you guessed it) The Daily Show and the like. Lots of comedians. Lots of outrageousness that would gin up press.

And the channel would not be just news. But any entertainment programs would have a progressive theme.

Michael Moore would need to be involved. But we'd also need to somehow pull in a reputable mainstream media figure to run the organization who has network experience but is reliably liberal. A young Bill Moyers, if they're out there.

How do we get started?

[missouri dem]

1. I would like Move-On to be involved.

They have shown that they can raise millions of dollars from the grass roots. Why not ask us to invest in a new corporation? I would be glad to put money in a liberal cable chanel. If Fox makes money then a liberal cable chanel would too. A built in audience.

[Chomskyite]

3. The money needs to be floated up front

There needs to be a certain amount the network can cruise on for a while. Fox News took five years to clear a profit.

[0rganism]

2. We have IFC and Sundance (Redford's channel)

Also, check out FSTV:
http://www.freespeech.org

We just need more broadcast affilliates to carry the programs, especially in the quasi-rural parts of the less-red states, and we may start changing some minds.

[Chomskyite]

4. Maybe we can get a pre-existing channel and change it over

That way we'd already have millions of households with access to it and wouldn't have to fight to get cable systems and satellite providers to take it.

Sundance is a pay channel. Free Speech TV is local and only appears on The Dish Network. And it has a listing up in the 9400s, which is TV Siberia. It needs to be in the 200s alongside CNN, MSNBC, etc.

[0rganism]

5. FSTV is also on a number of public access cable stations

http://www.freespeech.org/fsitv/html/affiliates.shtml

[PretzelWarrior]

6. I agree. we need to have some sort of media influence

and this would increase media diversity and widen media ownership. I support this. they could also screen and air "stringer" stories to cut down on costs of newsgathering, etc.