Obama’s Media Agenda: An Exclusive Interview

[sniffa]

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama has a profound appreciation of the media’s great possibilities. That’s at least part of what earned him the presumptive Democratic nomination for president.

The great battle to get the nomination -- a bruising 13-month struggle against valiant New York Sen. Hillary Clinton -- has ended. The war, against Republican nominee and Arizona Sen. John McCain, has only begun.

And if Obama’s “Yes We Can” mantra leads to “Yes We Did” in a November election victory, he will be setting the tone for communications policy from the bulliest of all media pulpits. And he likely would have a solidly Democratic Congress behind him.

With that in mind, we asked the senator to weigh in on media’s great challenges, issues and limits and go on the record with B&C about his communications agenda.

In e-mailed responses last week to questions submitted to his Capitol Hill office, Obama told us he is committed to working toward a digital-TV transition that is without significant disruption (the switchover would come less than four weeks after his inauguration); said the Federal Communications Commission needs to take merger reviews more seriously; asserted that FCC chairman Kevin Martin, like his predecessor, has tried to “dismantle” rules that protect the public; and gave his thoughts on whether cable content should be regulated or its channels unbundled.

Obama believes the consequence of consolidation has been less diversity, less local news and the parroting of stories across multiple outlets. That, he said, needs to change.

In other words, the media is on notice: The potential new sheriff is in town, and he believes there’s plenty of cleaning up to do.

read the interview here: http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6570325.html?desc=topstory

[anonymous171]

1. Is this why the MSM has been working so hard against him recently? nt

[Cha]

2. And the mainstream media will do

everything in their power to make sure he doesn't. Wright was a classic example

But, this is the media who gave us 8 years of bush and the WAr On Iraq.

NOT THIS TIME

[knight_of_the_star]

5. They could have done it eight years ago

Now the internet is too widespread, they can't control the debate like they did in the 90s.

[Cha]

6. We do have that going for us

too..thankfully!

[FrenchieCat]

3. We better keep this article under wraps.......

Cause after they finish nominating Tim Russert for Sainthood, they'll be coming out to try again to destroy Barack. Probably why some former candidates are still sitting on "stand-by" in the wings.

[slinkerwink]

4. this is why I wish our candidates wouldn't talk about media consolidation

I remember what happened to Dean shortly after he talked about media consolidation.