csberry

Every time I see something that endears me to Dean, he follows it up with something that freaks me out.

For example:

As a radio guy, I yearn to see the Clear Channels, Cumuluses, and the like separated from some of their stations. I just don't like the fact that one company can own 3+ stations in one market. Let alone 3+ stations in practically every market in the US. It stifles competition...and John Smith would tell us that lack of competition is bad. However, Dean seems more interested in the actual content supplied by the corporate media companies than the marketplace mechanism that caused this consolidation of the media market. While on a Draconian hyperbole a "corporate voice" is a bad thing, I don't think that people are being any more hood-winked by the media than we have ever been. The history of yellow journalism and the nation's previous dependence of news from only 3 TV networks for example. That most cities now only have 1 paper is another related issue but not one I'll address now (despite the merging of newspapers and broadcast media).

IMO, the govt (namely the FCC) should pay very little attention to content. Let the local market be the deciding factor on content. The govt should merely be making certain that the local interest is of the highest priority of the media in a market. I agree that if elected president that I would replace Mike Powell. He's spineless and often seems naive about the industry he is regulating. However, I will never vote for someone to be president that would "appoint people to the FCC that believe democracy depends on getting information from all portions of the political spectrum, not just one." There is no need for formatic affirmative action in the media. After all, what exactly is he saying? Is he trying to say that opinions were more diverse before Fox News? Or does he want each station/network to have diverse opinions? Viewers have determined (via ratings) that they want their news presented by Fox News rather than how CNN and MSNBC do it. Are you going to deprive these people of their choice of news because you chose otherwise? I am constantly disgusted that "liberals" are hypocritical about free speech issues. The speech that needs to be most protected is the kind with which you disagree.

1) Dixie Chicks - Country music fans are the most outwardly patriotic group in America. How many pop/rock versions are there of "God Bless the USA," "Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue," or "Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?" are there? Kudos to Neil Young and Bruce Springsteen (both highly steeped in their blue collar creds) but rock is for rebellion not singing support for authority figures. When Natalie made her statements in London about Bush, the phone at the country radio station that I shared the floor with in Dallas was constantly ringing. Over 90% of the phone calls demanded that the Dixie Chicks be removed. When a dozen people with diaries can make the difference between a station being #1 or #10, you are forced to pull the Chicks until things simmer down. If other country stations were being crammed with similar phone calls, it's not surprising that many stations pulled them from their playlists. The fact that the 1200 station CC had most of its country stations do that isn't any sign of directions from the corp fat cats as much as a sign of the ferocious nationalism of country music fans.
2) Rallys for America - Once upon a time, I worked for Darrell Ankarlo. A year or so ago, we were working together on morning drive in Dallas. After he read numerous stories of anti-war protests, he decided that we needed to throw a pro-USA rally to show that most of the folks between the coasts were for action in Iraq. He ranted on the air for a few days about it. Behind the scenes, we tried to get something going but had problems getting sponsors and a place to do it because we were told that the rally would be too controversial! Well, Glenn Beck (nationally syndicated and works w/ CC) heard about what we were trying to do. While on air (he came on right after us - but FYI he was located in FL at the time), he talks about how wonderful of an idea that was and that his show should start up an effort to get these going around the nation. ON THE AIR, you heard him call up stations that broadcast his show (most of them being CC stations) telling them that he wanted them to do a rally in their market. There was no CC memo about it. Just one guy on a CC syndicated show that spontaneously started recruiting other, mostly CC, stations to do it. So, yes, I am partially to blame for the Rallys for America. No, CC never told me to do anything.

As you might be able to see from the 2 examples I've given, CC didn't coordinate and distribute orders to do these things. BUT, their massive size makes any sort of industry trends appear to be of their design.

Okay, enough on my radio rambling which I doubt that anyone that reads this will actually care about. :)