Coastal
Post Online
June, 2003
Local Community Radio
and the FCC: A Last Stand
By Jeanette Pontacq
In 1993, Ben Bagdikian, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of
The Media Monopoly, showed that the number of corporations controlling most of
the nation's mass media had dropped from 50 only a decade previous to fewer
than 20. In 2003, control of the nation's media network is in the hands of less
than 10.
If Michael Powell (son of Colin and
Bush-appointed head of the FCC) has his way on June 2, the few remaining checks
and balances on corporate media power will be erased. The decision is expected
to give the corporations what they always wanted: the possibility for a single
huge media conglomerate to control most of a community's major media outlets,
including cable systems and broadband Internet service providers. The control
of the media will then be in the hands of only five or six corporate
conglomerates, none friendly to liberal or even moderate ideology, completely
in control of the far-right, neo-conservative fundamentalists. Do not expect
the media to report on this momentous event.
The corporations behind this putsch
are Rupert Murdoch's News Corp/Fox, General Electric/NBC, Viacom/CBS,
Disney/ABC, Tribune Corp and Clear Channel. After June 2, expect to see a
series of major mergers and buy-outs of radio and TV stations, papers and even
networks all over the country, in both rural and urban areas.
The proposed FCC rule changes will
act as a further weakening of the ability of mainstream journalism to serve as
a critical public safeguard in the face of attempts by our government to shred
the Constitution, keep citizens in fear, and ignore any background information
on what is going on (let's remember that Americans have almost no sense of even
their own history). Bottom line is that the so-called journalists on TV and
mainstream radio will have to ever-strongly adhere to the corporate line to
keep jobs. The popular culture enshrined on national TV will push
neo-conservative values in sync with corporate requirements. Any other ideas or
philosophies will be persona non gratis. Only the government-approved agenda will
be reflected.
Both Democrats (less) and Republicans
(more) are complicit, having been mostly silent about what all this really
means for the Average American. Most residents of Point Reyes Station, for
example, use Horizon Cable, an independent cable operator based in Novato for
both their TV and cable internet services. The offered TV stations are pretty
standard and reflect the abysmal lack of quality and thought on TV. But it
could get much worse if Horizon is taken over by an entity like Fox. Those
thinking that they can try to get better programming by switching to Direct TV
should know that Rupert Murdoch's Fox is planning to buy out the country's most
powerful satellite service, Direct TV, after Michael Powell hands them the
means on June 2. As to the internet services, expect ultimate content
restrictions if Horizon is taken over by something like Fox.
KWMR, West Marin's local community
radio station, suddenly takes on Very Important Status (VIS). Because KWMR only
transmits to a limited number of households (Stinson to Inverness and parts of
the San Geronimo Valley), it is unlikely they will be targeted by the few
corporate conglomerates in control after June 2. But then, never say never.
KWMR needs our support more than ever, both with money and interaction. It is
astounding that West Marin has such a radio station for its very own,
reflecting its particular values and communities. Hard to get and easy to lose!
We need to hug it, protect it and pay attention on pledge week!!
Let's also talk about KPFA for a
moment. Their powerful signal is worth tons of money. It will surely be
targeted for ultimate takeover. Expect such actions while America consolidates
its media in order to control all information.
THIS IS PERSONAL. Don Deane, the
owner of Smiley's in Bolinas and the editor of this paper, has for years
personally subsidized the Coastal Post in order to offer an open forum for
anyone to say his/her thing. While I have little doubt that Don will not
succumb to either dollars or threats to close this forum, it is something to
think about.
What would it be like to be without
the Coastal Post, KPFA, KWMR, The Nation and The Progressive? All the
newspapers, radio stations, TV and internet that you use are potential takeover
targets in the coming consolidation. Could West Marin suddenly find itself
within Rupert Murdoch's empire of non-information. Yes, it could, slowly but
surely while we all snooze. Pay attention and speak up. Times, they are
a'changin, and not for the better unless an awful lot of people start yelling
bloody murder.