BlogHer - FCC - Comments

Just discovered your blog; thanks for the mention

Beth Wellington — Thu, 01 May 2008 22:09:11 -0500

'Preciate it. I also have some articles on the FCC at llrx.com.

Important we do not lose sight

Maria Niles — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:30:29 -0500

This issue is important and we must make sure that the spotlight continues to shine on it. Thanks for covering it so well, Virginia (and I'm not just saying because of the link love).

I was heartened a bit by this recent article which seems to indicate that Comcast is listening and conceding the tiniest bit to public demand. It could be though that they are just trying to figure out how to get what they want in a manner that doesn't provoke outcry. However, I think that day and age is long gone. Someone will blog it!

Yes, and add in the loopholes and the upcoming spectrum auction

Kim Pearson — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 15:30:11 -0600

Hi Maria,
One of the disturbing things about the way this vote was pushed through is that, according to one of the dissenting commissioners, the final version of the rule didn't even get to them until 2 am on the day of the vote. He said he wasn't even sure what the full implications of the rule were. The only thing he could say was that there were so many loopholes that he thought it wouldn't be difficult for companies to get consolidations approved outside of the top 20 markets,

I hope you are right about there being greater competition. Like you, i have my doubts,

Meanwhile, I wonder what you think about the list of bidders that was released this week for next month's wireless spectrum auction? As you know, analog television stations are giving up their share of the spectrum as part of the switch to digital TV in 2009. The list of bidders for the Jan. 24 auction includes some you'd expect, (AT&T and Verizon), some suprises (especially Chevron) and Google, who could redefine the whole game. Hard to see where the little folks -- the startups, community groups, researchers -- will fit into the game.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Unless Congress acts, that is

Kim Pearson — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:58:36 -0600

Hey Elisa,

There are two things Congress might do that will reverse the FCC's decision. One is to pass the Media Ownership Act of 2007 which would force the FCC to be more "transparent" about their process for adopting new rules. It would also authorize the creation of an independent commission to look at ways of boosting media ownership by women and people of color. A .pdf of the bill is here. Sponsored by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-ND), the bill's two dozen co-sponsors include all of the Democratic Senate presidential candidates, Trent Lott (R-MS) ,Larry Craig (R-ID), and three other Republicans.

The other action that is being contemplated is a special kind of resolution that would effectively nullify the FCC decision. More details about that are available in the Dec. 21st podcast of Media Minutes. It will be interesting to see what happens after the current recess.

I think David Gregory is getting a bum rap. Huffington Post said he set white people back 60 years. And then his NBC co-workers compared his moves to that famous scene in "Seinfeld" in which Julia Louis-Dreyfuss does this dance that makes her look like a possessed zombie with an itch she can't reach. That's cold. Besides, he's become a hero to people like celebrity legs, "as a dorky white journalist who will totally dance to some Mary J (or Chris Brown) given the opportunity."

I say, work it DG!

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Media Consolidation

Maria Niles — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 14:45:25 -0600

It's hard to believe that Kevin Martin almost single-handedly overruled the wishes of the American public and ignored Congress speaking on our behalf (for a change). I was stunned when I saw this report on Bill Moyers Journal and how inevitable the vote was despite the protests shown.

Though my outrage is tempered a bit by the other vote to limit cable franchises to serving only 30% of a market which I think, while being given by the FCC as a gift to telecoms, will actually lead to at least price and service competition and allow some leverage of municipalities over cable companies since they will need access to install fiber optic lines and equipment. The progress though that the telecoms have made in convincing states to limit municipal regulation over their (not cable's) service and to centralize it at the state level limits my optimism.

And may I just add, I heart David Gregory in all his funky glory. There truly is no shame in his game.

Kleenex® Let It Out™ Blog
Beyond Help

No on can resist the power of MJ!

Elisa Camahort — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 11:43:16 -0600

Thanks for that last clip, Kim. It seriously put a smile on my face.

On a more serious note, it's hard to imagine how our media could become more consolidatyed and dominated by a few non-diverse and non-representative voices than it already is...but I guess we'll find out what that looks like!

Elisa Camahort
BlogHer
elisa@blogher.org

It turns out Young's remarks are THREE MONTHS OLD

Kim Pearson — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 19:19:24 -0600

According to this article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Young made the remarks September 5th, and they had been sitting unnoticed on the Newsmakerslive website. The site was recently reorganized and the video was posted up top, which is how it suddenly attracted so much attention. A new variation on how the web can end up driving the news cycle.

And Nordette, I think you are probably right.

Kim
BlogHer Contributing Editor|Professor Kim|

Andrew Young talking mess

Nordette — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 19:18:36 -0600

When I heard his remarks, I could hear my Aunt Reet's voice in my head telling me, "Oh, he's jes trying to stir up some MESS! Don't listen to that mess!"

I laughed out loud when I saw this, Kim. It sounds like something my relatives would've said as well. As for his comment on Bill Clinton, that's an old joke in the black community. Why it should be news, I don't know. Chris Tucker joked about it when he hosted the show where the NAACP gave Clinton an award.

Thank you for putting Young's comments in context. I believe you are correct in observations about who knows Barack Obama. He did not come up through the same ranks as Andrew Young, but why would we hold that against him?

It's interesting to me that Andrew Young helped usher in change but he may not see how those changes have impacted the world, such as African-Americans being a less monolithic group and their networks being more diverse.

Nordette Adams is a Contributing Editor with BlogHer.org.

Wished This Was Beyond Belief But No, Not Really

Gena Haskett — Sun, 28 Oct 2007 14:14:07 -0500

I expect them to lie. I expect them to distort the truth/fiction to their advantage.
Each time they get caught they are shocked and promise that this thing will never happen again.

To move a pencil from the right of the desk to the center takes a boat load of paperwork signed by multiple supervisors. We know that "rouge staffers" don't have that kind of decision power. Are they going to fire the person that typed up the fake questions and answers?

How can we get disenfranchised folks to participate when you have on-going disrespect for the citizens in the government. If the "Big One" earthquake could just hold out a little longer until this administration is out of office I'd appreciate it.

Gena - Out On The Stoop

I was disgusted

Kalyn Denny — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 16:55:44 -0500

I could not believe that FEMA staffers would post as reporters. Disgusting!

Kalyn Denny
Kalyn's Kitchen