Conglomerate media good for democracy?

MANY AMERICANS are unaware of the importance of the upcoming FCC vote on June 2nd. The Federal Communications Commission that regulates radio, television, wire, satellite and cable communications will vote on whether to loosen the current rules of media ownership. These rules now prevent industry giants from owning television and radio stations in the same market, and limit the total number of stations they can own. Removing the current limits would set a precedent for giant corporations such as Viacom, General Electric, Fox Entertainment Group, AOL Time Warner, and others to buy up smaller media outlets at will—all over the country and in our own backyard.

Does turning over the entire media to one or two giant corporations sound like it is good for democracy to you? It doesn’t to me. When one company can control everything that I see, read, and hear, I begin to question the authenticity of the information I’m getting. (And how much Brittany Spears can you really stomach?) A slanted media with no room for smaller radio stations or local newspapers cannot be a democratic media at all.

Republicans, Democrats, and even FCC chairman Michael Copps have spoken out against further deregulation. You can too, by going to www.fcc.gov/ownership/ and writing your comments directly to the FCC to let them know that you do not want your radio station, newspaper, and television channels to be owned by the same giant non-resident corporation. You value local news, local radio, and local television stories about our area and want to see that continue.

You can also contact the FCC at:

Phone: 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322)

TTY: 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322)

Fax: 1-866-418-0232

Thank you for your time.

Yvette Davis

Reader Comments

Discuss this article in the forums!