JohnLocke
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Fri Oct-19-07 11:25 PM
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Edwards Warns Against Rewriting Rules That Prevent Excessive Media Consolidation |
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Edwards Warns Against Rewriting Rules That Prevent Excessive Media Consolidation John Edwards for President Friday, October 19, 2007 ---- Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Today, Senator John Edwards sent the following letter to the FCC Commissioners in response to Chairman Kevin J. Martin's proposal to loosen media ownership rules. Kevin J. Martin Chairman Federal Communications Commission 445 12th Street SW Washington, DC 20554
Dear Chairman Martin:
I urge you to cease your efforts to radically rewrite the rules preventing excessive media consolidation. You and your fellow commissioners have the responsibility to ensure that our nation's media is open, democratic and as diverse as the American people, and not – like too much of our economy and our political system today – dominated by the wealthiest Americans, large corporations and their lobbyists. Rewriting the ownership rules in the manner you propose is contrary to that responsibility.
For decades, administrations of both parties and the FCC have tolerated and even encouraged the extreme consolidation of our media. In just the two years after telecommunications deregulation in 1996, the ownership of nearly half of America's radio stations changed, and by 2000, one media company had acquired over 1,100 radio stations. Eight business conglomerates now control the majority of media content in America, and two-thirds of all independently-owned newspapers have shut down since 1975.
Any benefits to consumers from vertical integration have been overwhelmed by the threats to competition, fair pricing and journalistic independence. The result of all this over-concentration, Mr. Chairman, is a poorer democracy, with a few loud corporate voices drowning out independent perspectives and local participation.
High levels of media consolidation threaten free speech, they tilt the public dialogue towards corporate priorities and away from local concerns, and they make it increasingly difficult for women and people of color to own meaningful stakes in our nation's media. Rather than further weakening efforts to ensure a diverse media, as you now propose, the FCC should instead be strengthening media ownership and concentration limits so that a few huge multinational corporations are not in charge of shaping our democracy.
When your predecessor Chairman Powell made a similar attempt, nearly 3 million highly diverse Americans wrote to the FCC to express their grave concerns. I hope that you and your fellow commissioners can find the will to continue to deny the ambitions of a small number of media executives and their lobbyists, in the interest of advancing a fuller, fairer democracy.
Yours sincerely,
John Edwards
Cc: Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein Commissioner Michael J. Copps Commissioner Robert M. McDowell Commissioner Deborah Taylor Tate http://johnedwards.com/news/press-releases/20071019-fcc-letter/
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JDPriestly
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Sat Oct-20-07 01:11 AM
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1. Edwards has the support of John Locke and JD Priestly. |
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Two of the smartest guys to walk the earth ever (if I do say so myself). He can't go wrong. Thanks for posting this. I visit John Edwards' website virtually every day. He is just the best candidate ever. I firmly believe he can and will win the presidency in 2008.
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JohnLocke
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Sat Oct-20-07 02:37 PM
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Kurovski
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Sat Oct-20-07 04:51 PM
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Nutmegger
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Sat Oct-20-07 04:52 PM
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4. Giving this some DU R&K love! |
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:thumbsup::loveya::kick:
Go Edwards!
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AmBlue
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Sat Oct-20-07 06:48 PM
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5. John Edwards..... The People's President |
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Edited on Sat Oct-20-07 06:49 PM by AmBlue
He just earns more and more admiration and respect from me every day.
GO JOHNNY GO!!!
:kick:
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Fri May 10th 2024, 04:10 AM
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