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Edited on Tue May-01-07 11:24 PM by Writer
Eleven Facts about the Media compiled by Tom Klammer of KKFI's Tell Somebody program.
1. The PUBLIC owns the airwaves. WE own the airwaves, not NBC, not ABC, not CBS not Fox or anybody else. The total worth of the publicly owned airwaves that US broadcasters utilize has been valued at $367 billion = more than many nations' GDPs - but the public has never been paid a dime in return. Nevertheless, broadcasters claim they can't afford to be accountable to the public interest.
Only BROADCASTERS must work in the public interest, per the FCC Act of 1934. However, in the history of the FCC, only one broadcast station has lost its license due to FCC discretion. It always has been broadcast's "toothless tiger" because of anemic public advocacy. It is up to the PUBLIC to ADVOCATE the FCC if it disagrees with the manner in which INDIVIDUAL BROADCAST STATIONS, not networks, conduct their business. Read: Any family group pushing for indecency actions.
2. Since 1975, two-thirds of independent newspapers owners have disappeared.
True.
3. Minority media ownership is down 14% since 1997.
Indeed. True.
4. Five media conglomerates control 70% of prime time television market share.
Yup.
5. Ownership consolidation fosters inferior educational programming (e.g., programs like NFL Under the Helmet is claimed by TV stations as an "educational program") and real educational programming disappears when local stations are bought by mega-media giants.
The Children's Television Act of 1990 stipulates specific standards that individual local television stations must follow. They must place a specific number of hours of educational/informational programming on the air each year. If you are concerned that your local broadcast stations do not follow this standard, this information is PUBLICLY available for your review at your station. Who owns the station is completely irrelevant to this FCC statute.
6. Consolidation is killing local radio. In 1996, before ownership rules were gutted, the largest owners controlled fewer than 65 stations. Soon after the rules were gutted, Clear Channel owned over 1,200 stations, more than 1 in 10 stations. Now there is pressure from the mega-media giants to loosen the rules even more.
Yup.
7. Big media profit from a money-dominated campaign finance system. In 2002, TV stations earned more than $1 billion from political advertising. You were four times more likely to see a political advertisement DURING A NEWS BROADCAST, than to see an election-related news story.
Sales staff are required to sell the broadcast television or radio time at the LOWEST CPP in a particular billing season. Indeed, it is a lot of money, but it is only 1/3 or less of what they would earn if they sold the airtime traditionally. This is under Section 315 of the FCC Act of 1934.
8. Big media threatens the Internet, both in terms of flow of information and cost to consumers. See www.savetheinternet.com
On edit: Ah, yes. Network neutrality. Comm. ISP's can muck around with content if they do away with this idea. I don't see how this is going to be economically feasible, though. Why use an ISP that limits your content when another provider can offer you total access? It will be interesting to see what happens here.
9. Media companies intent upon further changing FCC media ownership rules have spent hundreds of millions of dollars on lobbying FCC officials. Meanwhile, FCC employees have taken more than 2,500 industry-sponsored junkets between 1995 and 2003.
Yeah, definitely.
10. The illegal invasion and occupation of Iraq almost certainly could not have occurred without a toothless mainstream media which at best failed to challenge government propaganda and at worst actively participated in promulgating it.
... and a toothless American public. Remember that always.
11. Investigative journalism is becoming more and more rare as giant corporations buy up more and more media, operating them only as profit centers, cutting reporter and editor jobs.
Oh most certainly.
We need information - not propaganda - to advocate the media successfully. I would be careful about what you hear. Most of this list is accurate, but we all need to do our homework.
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