"The Single Most Important [Media] Policy Debate"

"This innocuous-looking document initiates the single most important public policy debate that the FCC will tackle this year," Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps explained Wednesday, as the commission issued the "Notice of Proposed Rulemaking" that initiates the next big fight over media ownership rules in the United States.

"Don't let its slimness fool you," added Copps. "It means that this Commission has begun to decide on behalf of the American people the future of our media. It means deciding whether or not to accelerate media concentration, step up the loss of local news and change forever the critical role independent newspapers perform for our country."

The commission's decision to issue the notice marks the beginning of an epic battle in the long struggle over whether to loosen ownership rules in a manner that would allow individual media companies to effectively take control of mass communications in cities across the country. But the precise nature of the fight was left unclear by FCC chairman Kevin Martin, who is guiding the rulemaking process.

Martin, a Bush administration appointee who is closely tied to a White House that wants to rewrite media ownership rules in a manner that will allow for a dramatic new wave of consolidation of ownership at the local level, is expected to use the process that began Wednesday to try and advance the agenda of the media conglomerates that in 2003 sought unsuccessfully to eliminate long-standing barriers to media monopoly. In a strategic shift, Martin is not proposing specifics rule changes at the start of the process. Rather, he is inviting comment on the broad issue of media ownership with the goal of then proposing and implementing specific rule changes after the public comment period is finished.

cont'd...

http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=94578

As it stands, the office of president holds more sway over it than do people. There's got to be structural reforms, in my opinion.

It's part of their control.

Through his utter and complete failure to regulate via the FCC. He's the one responsible for the destruction of radio through the Telecomminications Act. He also appointed Republican "free" market libertarian Micheal Powell to the commission.

The irony is that the corporate media never gave the guy a break from day one- and still, he (and other sell out Dems) consistently pandered to them.

And- they're still at it- they gave this far current right commissioner a total pass, releasing a hold- not even attempting to slow this down (or air the issues out) through a formal hearing and a vote.

"The U.S. Senate on Friday (May 26) unanimously confirmed COMPTEL lawyer Robert McDowell as the fifth member of the FCC.

McDowell’s nomination had been on hold for some time; his confirmation gives FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin a Republican majority, which he has not had since he was appointed chairman in early 2005.

http://www.newtelephony.com/news/65h261231387026.html