media consolidation is one of my pet issues. it has an enormous impact on our democracy. so when i got the
Domestic Weekly email from the Center for American Progress into
ppipes i just had to share more in detail than just putting it in the roundup.
by Matt Lloyd a senior fellow at the CAP: (below the fold)
link
There are a few things we can say with some confidence regarding communications policy in 2004. Both the evangelical right and the pro-business right held major sway over the federal agencies that were formed to oversee communications activity on behalf of the entire public. The trend toward consolidation continued in both the sector that produces content and the sector that distributes content. While the communications industries spent millions influencing policy, they also made billions in return for that investment. While a few stockholders benefited from this state of affairs, most consumers did not. Democracy, and the enlightened citizen so necessary to make it function, most certainly did not benefit from the state of communications policy in 2004.
i wont take all of the numbers he cites, but here are some of the more interesting figures
- Amount of fines for indecency violations in 2004: $ 7,928,000
- Amount of fines for indecency violations in 2003: $ 440,000 [1]
- Amount of fines for false political advertising in 2004: $0 [2]
- Amount TV took in for political advertising in 2004: $1.6 billion
- Amount TV took in for political ads in 2000: $771 million [3]
...
- Amount cable television providers spent to influence federal officials from 1998 through June 2004: $140.6 million
- Amount TV and radio broadcasters spent to influence federal officials from 1998 through June 2004: $248.9 million
- Amount telecommunications industry spent to influence federal officials from 1998 through June 2004: $559 million
the story is about influence makers and is overwhelmingly dominiated by these groups: right wing indecency fanatics, high powered industry lobbyists, and an FCC that does not look out for the interest of the citizens. something must be done. the FCC must be reformed. it will take an act of Congress, something i doubt will happen until the Democrats are in office. but can they get back into office with a hostile media? i believe the answer is yes, but it will be damn hard.