WSJ (Owned By Rupert Murdoch) - Attacks FCC Hire Who Opposed Concentrated Media Ownership

[TomCADem]

If the WSJ were an ethical media outlet, there would be a disclaimer indicating that Rupert Murdoch directly benefits from a relaxation of rules restrictions against the concentration of media ownership. Instead, the WSJ smears appointees who appears as though they would enforce such rules.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125262959925001745.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

FCC Official Comes Under Fire for Past Statements

WASHINGTON -- New Federal Communications Commission chief Julius Genachowski says he wants to promote diversity in media ownership, but his recent decision to hire Mark Lloyd, a civil-rights attorney critical of corporate-owned media, to help with that effort has riled some talk-radio hosts who fear the agency is planning to go after them.

The criticism comes as another Obama administration appointee, environmental jobs adviser Van Jones, resigned over the weekend following an outcry over things he said before joining the government.

* * *

FCC chief of staff Edward Lazarus said Mr. Lloyd is currently working, for example, on how to increase broadband adoption in minority communities and by small businesses. Through an FCC spokeswoman, Mr. Lloyd declined to comment.

But Mr. Lloyd in the past has criticized corporate ownership of media outlets, saying it has led to conservative dominance of talk radio, among other things. He has called for a broader range of voices in the media and advocated taxing station owners to subsidize public broadcasters and local media.

"If we as a nation...fully funded a broadcaster like the British citizens fund BBC, we might have an impact on what they cover and have more power to demand that they cover everything," Mr. Lloyd said at a 2008 media conference.

In 2007, while a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, a Democratic think tank with close ties to the Obama administration, Mr. Lloyd co-authored a report that proposed ways the FCC could change the balance of conservatives to progressives on talk radio by imposing new rules on the radio industry, such as more frequent license renewals and a national radio-ownership cap.

Mr. Lloyd has no authority to set policy at the FCC, and his appointment has drawn little reaction so far from companies. Nevertheless, his past statements have fueled an outcry among conservative commentators and lawmakers concerned that Mr. Lloyd's hiring signals the FCC will change rules to make it easier for interest groups unhappy with a local station's programming to threaten its license.

The administration "is trying to stifle dissenting voices," said radio host Rush Limbaugh, discussing Mr. Lloyd with Fox News host Glenn Beck last month. (Fox News is owned by News Corp., which owns The Wall Street Journal.)

"He doesn't like corporate ownership of media," said Seton Motley, communications director of the Media Research Center, a conservative interest group that has been critical of Mr. Lloyd. "He wants to use the vast power of the FCC to hammerlock the radio industry."

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[movonne]

1. This sounds good ...

[CoffeeCat]

2. On a strange (but positive) note...

I was reading about the FCC the other day, and lo and behold--a very high-up FCC appointee
is someone who was a good friend of mine in college. I about fell off my chair when I read
this. I'm not familiar with the whole FCC echelon, but this person has to be one of the top 5
on the FCC org chart.

I was happy, because this person was incredibly progressive in college--and an incredibly kind
and decent person.

Glad to see we have some incredible people in leadership positions. Things were getting
kinda dark and scary there for a while.

[democracy1st]

3. whenever someone suggests that we need more diversity on the air,these clowns always come

up with the excuse that they're being attacked!

[TomCADem]

5. The Word "Diversity" Suggests The Issue Relates To Multi-Culturalism Rather Than Media Monopolies

Indeed, the WSJ article deliberately confuses the two issues of minority ownership of media with the question of corporate media monopolies in order to generate opposition to the FCC appointee.

[blogslut]

4. Well, of course Murdoch-Co doesn't like him

But I tell ya, as long as this guy is a commissioner, I'm a happy camper:

http://www.fcc.gov/commissioners/copps/biography.html
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08242007/profile.html

[spanone]

6. when they give palin a forum, as they did a few weeks ago, they've lost all credibility

wall street urinal

[Quantess]

7. Interesting.

[LWolf]

8. Good.

Finally, an appointment I'm comfortable with.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Murdoch Fears Reregulation vs. "Fairness Doctrine"

Rupert owns a majority of the Fox network affiliates...billions "invested" and in many cases, properties he overpaid for. The loss of audience (cable & satellite) and resulting advertising slump has seen these properties fall drastically (a major reason the Tribune company is in bankruptcy). If old duopoly rules were put back into play, Murdoch not only would lose control of those stations but would be forced to sell them (more competition...Murdoch hates that) and take a loss...possibly in the billions as he has to divest. Damn right they don't want reregulation.

We're seeing "opposition by intimidation"...while the rushpublicans can't win many legislative votes or elections, they still can intimidate both the cororate media and Democrats. As long as this continues, we'll get one poutrage after another as more targets are selected.

Radio is another mess. That industry is also in dire financial straits that are the results of "deregulation". The AM band has turned into a fetid swamp and FM "cookie cutter" stations offer the same old songs over and over. Reregulation would be a godsend to this industry but with so few hands in control, they'd rather see the industry burn than to try to salvage it.

While I've long strongly favored reregulation, in many ways its too late. Audiences have been lost that will never return, the big money that used to be easy pickin's are gone and the people who made this huge mess are still in control and somehow supposed to fix their problems.