Media ownership, drug ads, junkfood ads: Top priorities for hearings?

[ProgressiveEconomist]

Advertising Age, the leading marketing industry publication, apparently fears that incoming Democratic comittee chairmen Dingell, Kennedy, and Harken will expose scandalous conditions that have made them plenty of money over the past twelve years of Republican misrule.

From http://adage.com/article?article_id=113052 :

"Democrats Set Sights on Drug Ads and Media Ownership: Power Shift in Congress Could Affect a Host of Marketing Issues

By Ira Teinowitz Published: November 08, 2006

WASHINGTON (AdAge.com) -- With Democrats on the verge of gaining control of the U.S. Senate along with the House, marketing issues could get far more attention from Congress. A Democratic-dominated Congress is likely to take aim at a number of marketing issues.

Drugs and food

Marketing groups believe a Senate switch would immediately put under the microscope prescription-drug and children's food advertising. Prescription-drug advertising has been one focus of Sen. Ted Kennedy, D-Mass., and the senator has co-sponsored legislation that would impose a two-year moratorium on advertising a drug after its approval. Mr. Kennedy has also criticized the Food and Drug Administration for not giving direct-to-consumer drug ads sufficient scrutiny, and he would become chairman of the Senate Health Committee in a Democratic Senate. Sen. Tom Harkin, D-Iowa., who has been critical of food advertising and particularly fast-food advertising to children, becomes chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

Rep. John Dingell

In the House, the changes chairmanships can bring became apparent today when Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., outlined some issues he would push as incoming chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Dingell highlighted privacy issues and prescription-drug ads. He added that he takes a pretty dim view of some of the Federal Communications Commission's easing of media ownership rules and also requested that approval of AT&T's deal for Bell South be held off until the acquisition can be reviewed by his panel."

[texpatriot2004]

1. hmm, you mean "drug ads" right, not drud? nm

[ProgressiveEconomist]

2. Thanks--I was already editing when I saw your reply

Those keys aren't even in finger-slip range.

[Donnachaidh]

3. YES please!

Break up Time Warner and FOX. And the Bells. And AT&T.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

4. I wonder where Dingell stands on possible Fairness Doctrine

legislation. As I understand it, the only judicial ruling against it was a 1986 ruling by Bork and Scalia (on a Federal Appeals Court panel) that the original Fairness Doctrine law was improperly drafted. Thus a more carefully worded piece of legislation could bring it back. And possible veto after veto by Dubya would make great political theater as Democrats attached the Fairness Doctrine to EVERY piece of legislation up for roll-call vote, until it passes.

The media won't be able to ignore legislative wrangling over measures that affect its own bread and butter, and the American people could get a great education on how the media have been reduced to corporate Republican propaganda mouthpieces.