Support Big Media Ownership on Thursday in Seattle.

Are you tired of channel surfing, trying to check different news stories? How about having more than one newspaper to read like Seattle does with the Seattle PI and Seattle Times? Tired of too damn many different radio stations that give you different editorial opinions that conflict with each other?

Life is too cluttered and busy to have to figure all this out. The answer is media consolidation. Let corporate America own as many radio and TV and newspapers as they want. Eventually it won’t matter whether you hear the news on Channel 5 or 7 or 4 or 13. It won’t matter which radio station you listen to. And you won’t ever have to read more than one newspaper. Because one corporation will own them all and the “news” and the opinions will all be the same.

Just think, you could get all the news you want on either Fox TV or FOX Radio or the FOX newspaper. Because they could own all the media in a market like Seattle or Washington State or the West Coast or the USA. And no matter whether you listened or watched or read, it would all be the same stories, same opinion, same conclusions.

Who really needs all these different news outlets and different opinions?

If you agree with this opinion I suggest you keep it to yourself and just let Fox and others decide what we can listen to, read and watch.

If you disagree with this opinion then I suggest you check out this opinion by The Nation on Nov 24, 2006 which warns that:

“… once again, media-industry lobbyists and their allies on the FCC are working to revise the rules on media ownership to allow a single corporation to own most, if not all, of the newspapers, radio and TV stations and Internet news and entertainment sites in your town. Last June, new FCC chairman Kevin Martin issued a draft policy proposal — called a Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making — that kick-started Big Media’s latest attempt to weaken the rules protecting local voices, vibrant competition and diverse viewpoints.”

They suggest you visit the website Reclaim the Media which alerts us to a Seattle hearing this week on media ownership.
“On Nov. 30, a Seattle public hearing on media ownership, takes place at the Seattle Public Library, with FCC Commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein. The hearing will help the FCC gather public comment as it considers revising its media ownership rules, which help protect viewpoint diversity by limiting the number of newspapers, TV and radio stations a single company may own or control. This is Seattle’s opportunity to weigh in on an issue which is critical to our culture and our democracy. The hearing takes place at 6pm, Thursday Nov. 30, in the Seattle Public Library‘s main auditorium. Stay tuned for more details! Hearing cosponsored by Reclaim the Media, The Seattle Times, KBCS 91.3fm Community Radio, the Minority Executive Directors Coalition and the UW Department of Communication.”

You can either testify at the hearing or send the FCC your statement opposing media consolidation. Click here , courtesy of Stop Big Media ,to send an e-mail. Rewrite the sample message in your own words. Comments are due by Dec. 21, 2006

Senator Maria Cantwell and Rep Jay Inslee will make opening statements at the hearing.

see also:
“FCC Hearing in Seattle” - OlyBlog 11/19/2006
“Hold the line on media consolidation” - Seattle Times Ray Blethan 11/24/2006