In about two and a half weeks, the FCC’s Localism Task Force will set up shop in San Antonio, Texas for a public hearing. This is the second one; the first happened in October in Charlotte, North Carolina. That produced a 
153-page transcript, if you’re interested in catching up on the pontification.
I still don’t quite see the point of this effort, as the damage done to localism in the media (however you want to define it) from industry consolidation is already done, and is just getting worse as time goes on. At least those that get to speak to some FCC officials will feel momentarily important, as said officials momentarily act like they care. Change/progress? Not likely (however you want to define it).
That being said, the image at right arrived in the inbox this week courtesy of “RPMRADIO,” a shadowy entity that claims to operate a network of unlicensed microradio stations in San Antonio, also the home of Clear Channel. Photoshopped or not, the sentiment’s dead-on. Task force public hearings are only one venue through which the public may be heard.
(click on image to see a larger jpeg)
Category: Media Policy
Radio Non Grata Makes Nice Try
Banned from speaking at the United Nations’ World Summit on the Information Society last week in Geneva, Reporters Without Borders attempted to stay involved in the debate via pirate radio: it launched “Radio Non Grata” at 95.8 FM last Tuesday and planned to spend the time airing interviews with WSIS critics. People had even gone to Geneva and handed out portable radios with flyers to advertise the broadcasts.
Radio Non Grata lasted less than a day before French police showed up and busted the operation (the station was located just over the French/Swiss border in Ferney-Voltaire). The station’s operators were given the choice of going off the air voluntarily or having all of their equipment seized; they chose the former.
December Amendment One: A Push for LPAM
As part of the FCC’s current study of localism, an effort’s afoot to lobby the agency to leaglize a form of low power AM radio service. Not only would LPAM be a good supplement to LPFM in general, but it might allow for placement of new community radio stations where congestion on the dial precluds new LPFMs.
Included in this month’s A1 is a supplement that summarizes the process for filing comments with the FCC’s Localism Task Force, and contains a list of recommended issues to emphasize.
Congress Pulls Fast One on Media Reform
All the hoopla and hard work this year in Washington, D.C. on the issue of media reform can now officially be declared futile. In the horsetrading sessions typical at the end of a congressional session, provisions unrelated to federal government spending get attached to spending bills – this allows controversial pieces of legislation to clear Congress with little fanfare and controversy.
Congressional allies of media reform incrementally ceded ground to the GOP majority controlling the horsetrading, settling for a single provision attached to a multi-billion dollar spending bill that would restore the FCC’s original television station ownership cap (prohibiting one network from reaching more than 35% of the national TV audience, down from the 45% limit approved by the FCC in June).
But back in the smoke-filled room this week, a “compromise” was reached – instead of restoring the original 35% cap, the “compromise” will prohibit networks from owning stations that reach more than 39% of the country. Continue reading “Congress Pulls Fast One on Media Reform”
Media Activist/Reformers Preparing Madison Invasion
Less than two weeks from the National Conference on Media Reform in Madison and plans have been announced for a shadow “Be the Media” convergence as well. The idea is to get the participants to mingle with each other and teach some real media skills to people.
Various IMCs and other grassroots media outlets around the U.S. are sending contingents and many events will be webcast (this is why I have been so busy as of late). There’s also plans to set up a collective conference blog so participants can pool coverage and perspectives. Stay tuned for more details. In all I wouldn’t be surprised if 1,500-2,000 people – maybe more – take part in the fun. Continue reading “Media Activist/Reformers Preparing Madison Invasion”
Amherst Alliance in Last-Minute Lobby Flurry
Congress is getting ready to wrap up business for the year; work left undone so far includes the rollback of the FCC’s changes to media ownership rules. There’s a quasi-insurrection brewing in the House of Representatives, where 190 congressfolk have signed onto a letter asking Republican leadership to allow a vote on the FCC rollback.
The Amherst Alliance’s Don Schellhardt put together another detailed analysis of where things stand now, and includes helpful boilerplate examples of what to say if you’re inclined to call your representative and urge some action.
The Amherst Alliance has also launched a petition drive to the FCC designed to immediately expand the LPFM service back to its original parameters and request that the FCC protect LPFM stations from digital radio interference. Visit the Amherst Alliance’s web site and sign on, if you can…
October Amendment One: "Halftime" In Washington
Don Schellhardt weighs in with some excellent analysis in October’s hefty Amendment One. He’s got harsh words for Senator John McCain and even harsher words for Kevin Klose and National Public Radio.
McCain may ultimately stall media reform efforts in Congress by protecting his own committee turf, while NPR’s stalling tactic in the FCC’s resolution of the LPFM interference issue has apparently torpedoed a proposed Senate committee hearing on LPFM, which would’ve been chaired by (yes, the same) John McCain last month.
Outside of the folks at Free Press (who are actually being paid to work Capitol Hill), nobody’s got a closer read on the situation than Don. Detail-wise, he’s the man in all respects.
Free Press Kicks off Call Congress Campaign
With reports of the FCC veto effort stalling on Capitol Hill, the lobbying begins again in earnest. These shenanigans often take place as correspondence between congresscritters; one can often gauge the level of political support certain bills have by the number of signatures on a letter of support for it circulating the House or Senate.
Such a letter is now making its way around the House, which is where much of the resistance to this particular media reform campaign is coming from. Free Press continues to gather signatures on its petition to Congress, but now they’d like folks to pick up the phones. Why? Bob McChesney sez because it’s quick, painless and may actually do some good (and the record so far is no small feat):
“If your Representative hasn’t signed it, please call them and ask him/her to do so. Over 120 (out of 435) have signed already. Instructions are provided.”
Smokin' Klose
National Public Radio President/CEO Kevin Klose appeared on the UW-Madison campus today as part of a panel on the quality of the network’s coverage of Gulf War II. During Q-and-A, DIYmedia tried to get Klose to repent for his opposition to low power radio. The attempt was unsuccessful, but the excursion wasn’t a total loss….
Before the talk began, Klose was standing in the back of the auditorium speaking with various suits from the Wisconsin Public Radio system. There had to be at least 50 people in the auditorium, either suits or professors or students. I worked my way into the circle, and Klose stuck out his hand to shake mine: “Hi, I’m Kevin,” he said.
“I know,” was my response. “We met briefly in San Francisco in 2000, during an NPR board meeting there.”
Klose’s face briefly clouded over and he muttered, “Oh, you’re not one of those low power radio folks, are you?” I said I was; he mused out loud that he was happy the subject wasn’t on today’s agenda. Continue reading “Smokin' Klose”
Smokin' Klose: NPR Prez in Madison
National Public Radio President/CEO Kevin Klose was on the UW-Madison campus this morning as a guest of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication. He appeared on a panel at a public forum on “Accuracy, Fairness, and Balance” with regard to NPR’s coverage of the U.S. escapade in Iraq.
Klose didn’t say anything terribly remarkable about the practice of journalism and NPR’s role in truth-telling. He compared trying to cover the fighting in Iraq with “circling an intersection at a fender-bender” with the hope of reconstructing what actually happened. But Klose did exhort the undergraduates to stay engaged in the democratic process, and as journalists-to-be they should always strive to maximize the diversity of voices given play in the media. Continue reading “Smokin' Klose: NPR Prez in Madison”