Despite the hoax that caught Vera unaware, it is no hoax that the
traditional media infrastructure that informs Americans is under serious
and imminant threat. On June 2, the Federal Communications Commission
under Colon Powell's son, Michael, will rule on sweeping changes that
could allow local TV stations, newspaper, radio stations, networks, and
cable services all to be owned and controlled under a single entity. The
resulting concentration of ownership will undermine American democracy to
catastrophic proportions.
Because the major corporate media are behind the move, they have done
little or nothing to inform their viewers about this momentous state of
affairs. A few public television programs have attempted to cover this
story, (most notably 'Now' with Bill Moyers), but for the most part, the
American Public is largely oblivious to what is about to take place.
So far, Congress has had ample testimony from the Corporate Broadcasters
who support the move, but there has been little to no organized opposition
from citizen groups. One online citizen group, MoveOn.org is attempting
to pull together last-minute citizen opposition to the proposal:
http://www.moveon.org/stopthefcc/?id=1344-987161-_73T3uJcoRHMtsVL1NoJ.w
This site is worth a visit, especially now.
Robert McChesney (UIU-C) has been predicting this gathering storm for
years. With John Nichols, McChesney offers concrete suggestions that
citizens might employ to avert this apparent inevitability of absolute
media monopoly, but they agree that serious response to the Corporate
leviathon will not emerge without a determined and relentless effort by
common folk to become media activists.
http://www.sevenstories.com/Book/index.cfm?GCOI=58322100041500
Martin Ryder
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