Whoever wins needs to push for a repeal of the Telecommunications act of '96

[anonymous171]

That is all.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telecommunications_Act_of_1996

[onenote]

1. well, that would be up to Congress, not the President. And its not going to happen.

At least not repeal of the Act as a whole. Hopefully, there will be some new limitations/restrictions on media consolidation, however.

[DinahMoeHum]

2. How about bringing back the Fairness Doctrine?

n/t

[anonymous171]

4. Not a bad idea either.

[Tribetime]

19. I'm all for that, it's stacked against us

[backscatter712]

3. While we're at it, bring anti-trust prosecutions against the big six media companies,

and reimplement the Fairness Doctrine.

[anonymous171]

5. YES.

This election cycle has really opened my eyes to how agenda oriented the MSM is. I just thought they liked Bush, but turns out they just hate democrats (even corporate ones like Hillary.)

[onenote]

7. which six? and under what antitrust theory?

[cascadiance]

29. There is something called the Sherman Anti-Trust act which are LAWS not theories!

It's just whether we have a justice department and courts interested in going after them, and not getting bought off like Ashcroft and Colleen Kollar-Kotelly were who dismissed the lawsuit against Microsoft only a month or so after she was appointed to the FISA Court (which she now heads!), which was also done on late Friday the weekend before the 2002 election too (which was very "optimal" timing for Republicans as well).

[onenote]

32. I'm quite familiar with the Sherman Anti-trust Act. I'm curious what portion of it

you would use to go after the six media companies (and which six companies).

Would you accuse some/all of them of having entered into an agreement/combination in restraint of trade? What sort of agreements are there between these companies?

Or would you go after them under Section 2 for having "monpolized" commerce? And how do you bring a monopolization charge against six media entities that compete with each other for viewers and advertising?

[cottonseed]

6. I want to see what this thread fills up with.

I'm not a media scholar so I'm not so sure how the press has slowly eroded away in this country. I'm looking forward to what some of us DUers will post here. What I'd really, really like to see is a progressive platform, something along the lines of a 10 point plan, to get our media out of this mess.

[Armstead]

27. A few points iof a wish list

1)Restore ownership limits (How many radio and TV stations any one company can own. How many media outlets one company can own per market. Go after the vertical integration where company owns supplies and distribution.

2)Limit number of cable outlets any one company can own.

3)Restore the notion of "public service" responsibilities of broadcasters. That would require more independence of news opoerations from entertainment profit centers.

[cottonseed]

28. I'd also like to see a separation of TV and Publishing

It bothers me that everyone on these news programs (especially cable) are pushing a book. That's what's leading to the creation of these character anchors and news personalities. They're maximizing profits while minimizing information.

[anonymous171]

31. Yeah, that bothers me too.

Kind of like how each networks New Years Eve special had performances by acts signed to the Network's Parent Company's label.

[Armstead]

34. It would require vigorous anti-trust enforcement

I'm all for it. But I think politicians are too chickenshit to actually tackle that one.

[nxylas]

8. I suspect that the candidates are well aware of the need for media reform...

...but that they'll keep quiet on the subject until after the election. The media is bad enough as it is, imagine what they'd be like if a presidential candidate threatened them with the A-word (accountability).

[Zodiak]

9. Actully I think one candidate is just fine with the state of our media

Since her husband made it that way in '96, and now she is cashing in on that dumbed-down population to induce a little race-baiting to secure the nomination.

No DLCer would even consider breaking up the media monopolies....they created them.

[RazBerryBeret]

18. and it's ironic that she

LOVES to complain about the media bias! She's partially responsible!!!

[anonymous171]

20. I wish someone would ask her about it

[anonymous171]

10. Yep. Sadly, right now, the media controls/manufactures truth.

Any candidate who openly campaigned on media reform would either be slimed (Dean-style) or ignored (Kucinich or Edward's style.)

[Adelante]

11. Agreed

Media reform has to be addressed pronto.

[snooper2]

12. The whole bill wasn't bad...

just parts of it...

The company I work wouldn't exist if it hadn't been for the telecom act of 96'...

The bells would still be fucking people over...( more than they are today I should say )

[totodeinhere]

13. Repeal the DMCA too.

It's just another crappy law signed into law by Bill Clinton.

[newmajority]

14. Repeal every fucking law made after 1980

Then maybe we can get this country back to where it should be.

[anonymous171]

16. We're still on Reagan's trajectory.

[harun]

17. I had never thought of something like that, but when thinking about it

the very fact this is a good idea means there is so much wrong.

[newmajority]

22. Thom Hartmann reminded me of something today.

Jimmy Carter was the last President to enforce the Sherman Anti-Trust act. That's how he broke up AT&T.

Had any of these Repuke/DLC presidents been in office in the late 70's, we would probably still have one phone company, and probably no cell phones, no VOIP, no DSL, no broadband, and not even any competition for long distance rates, which was the first result of the Ma Bell breakup.

Just imagine where we could be if a few other monopolies or near monopolies were broken up. Oil companies. Corporate media. "Defense" contractors. Some would argue Microsoft belongs on that list, but they are slitting their own throats with Vista.

[americanstranger]

15. RICO The Media.

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations.

If that isn't a letter-perfect description of American Media circa 2008, I don't know what is.

An enterprising prosecutor could go after them for manipulating the stock market, interfering in lawful elections, and pushing this country into war for corporate profit.

And if there was a legal charge for insulting thinking people's intelligence, they should be hit with that, too.

RICO The Media.

- as

[Khaotic]

21. Amen to that

The only this can even be a dream is if Obama is the nominee and gets the White House.

Hillary won't even rollback executive power, much less an act her husband signed into law.

Obama is for over ruling the FCC in their latest decision to let a company own both television stations and newspapers in the same market. I don't know about Clinton.

We know about Obama.

GOBAMA!!!

[anonymous171]

23. Maybe that's why the MSM suddenly hates him.

[MagickMuffin]

24. I believe there should be a TRUTH DOCTRINE along with the FAIRNESS DOCTRINE

Since "WE" are suppose to be the "owners" of the media. :shrug:

There has been a real disservice to our nation under the current '96 Act. Faux Newz can spout whatever they want, FACTS be Damned.

Since then CNN has followed suit. Nothing but disinfotainment comes from those two cable networks.:cry:


:kick: & RRRRRRR

[onenote]

25. why not just get rid of the first amendment and let the government run the media?

As Justices Douglas and Stewart famously wrote: "A responsible press is an undoubtedly desirable goal, but press responsibility is not mandated by the Constitution, and, like many other virtues, it cannot be legislated."

[anonymous171]

26. Yep.

[knixphan]

30. YES, yes and YES.

[intheflow]

33. You got that right!

It has crippled the democratic process in America. Which of course is what the plan was all along. :grr: