FIGHTING FOR AIR -- The Battle to control America's Media

For residents of Minot, North Dakota, Clear Channel Communications is synonymous with disaster. Early one morning a train derailment sent a cloud of poisonous gas drifting toward the small town. In an attempt to warn local residents, fire and rescue departments contacted all six radio stations in the area. In a market totally monopolized by Clear Channel, where canned programming and virtual DJs are the norm, there was no one to answer any of the calls. Almost all residents of Minot were taken unaware. Unresponsive media resulted in one death and over 1,000 injuries.

This disaster is only one example of Big Media indifference. From programmed radio shows to empty television newscasts, corporate ownership or control of media takes a toll on both cultural and political life across America. Criminal Justice, campaign finance and health care are some of the casualties in this rampant bid for the power to control uninformed minds.

The book Fighting For Air by Eric Klineberg details how companies like Clear Channel, with over 12,040 stations, are devastating America.

you might better understand. There was no live people at any of the stations to answer the phone or cut into programming, just heartless machines. Please reread the OP. Both fire and rescue units made repeated attempts to do what you think FEMA might have done.

Then perhaps ask New Orleans residents their opinions of FEMA!

what needs to be done?

radio and television must be more responsive in our post 911 world.

>> the power to control uninformed minds.>>>

That's it in a ( an empty) nutshell.

an independent radio station that kept broadcasting emergency information after Katrina hit, it was run by an individual, if I remember correctly he kept broadcasting even though his home was flooded, meanwhile the corporate ones had shut down, leaving the people in the dark.

that person sounds like a true American hero to me.

however I believe he operated in Mississippi.

Phillips is a ham operator in Bay St. Louis, Miss. who runs WQRZ, a Low-Power (100 watts) FM station that runs on solar power. As Katrina approached, he moved operations to the Hancock County, Miss. Emergency Operations Center and was granted temporary emergency license by the FCC to boost the transmitter output to 4,000 watts.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5339847

FWIW, this is what hams do, especially members of the American Radio Relay League. They're considered first responders for communications in a volunteer capacity.

the guy from Jefferson Parish, I think, losing it about his mother in a nursing home with no help to save them. Reporters from the Times-Picayune were working with them and posting as much information as they could get. There were some guys that rigged up a webcam and blogged about what was going on that were totally independent. We can and need to do much better than this.

:kick:

You're both sweet and cute! thanks for the kick!

you can't see it from this shot but I have a pony-tail and usually wear a cowboy hat.