Kucinich: Congress To Take On FCC

[stephanie]

Well well well........That party of free speech hard at work of shutting it down....

January 15, 2007

Over the weekend, the National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, TN, with a number of notable speakers on hand for the event. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made an surprise appearance at the convention to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission.

The Presidential candidate said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington.” The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced this week in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

In addition to media ownership, the committee is expected to focus its attention on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers. Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to present controversial topics in a fair and honest manner. It was enforced until it was eliminated in 1987.

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was also on hand at the conference and took broadcasters to task for their current content, speaking of "too little news, too much baloney passed off as news. Too little quality entertainment, too many people eating bugs on reality TV. Too little local and regional music, too much brain-numbing national play-lists." Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein also spoke at the event.
http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=333927

[Gunny]

Well well well........That party of free speech hard at work of shutting it down....

January 15, 2007

Over the weekend, the National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, TN, with a number of notable speakers on hand for the event. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made an surprise appearance at the convention to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission.

The Presidential candidate said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington.” The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced this week in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

In addition to media ownership, the committee is expected to focus its attention on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers. Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to present controversial topics in a fair and honest manner. It was enforced until it was eliminated in 1987.

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."

FCC Commissioner Michael Copps was also on hand at the conference and took broadcasters to task for their current content, speaking of "too little news, too much baloney passed off as news. Too little quality entertainment, too many people eating bugs on reality TV. Too little local and regional music, too much brain-numbing national play-lists." Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein also spoke at the event.
http://www.fmqb.com/Article.asp?id=333927

That the Dems are forming yet another pointless committee I don't doubt. That it'll accomplish anything I seriously doubt.

The media will hide behind the First, as they always do.

[stephanie]

What conservative in their right mind......would or could sit next to Randy Rhodes when she's talking........

That's probably why this wont pass......

:lmao:

[MtnBiker]

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive agenda to where it is visible."


Oh great, this coming from a guy that showed a pie chart during a radio debate.




By Associated Press

January 6, 2004, 8:44 PM EST
DES MOINES, Iowa -- Federal spending was the topic and Democratic presidential hopeful Dennis Kucinich came prepared with a pie chart to argue his point about a bloated Pentagon budget.

But although many listened to Tuesday's presidential debate, few could see the Ohio congressman's prop.

The debate was broadcast only on National Public Radio.

As Kucinich challenged Democratic front-runner Howard Dean for refusing to acknowledge that the Pentagon budget needs to be cut, debate moderator Neal Conan of NPR interrupted.

"Congressman Kucinich is holding up a pie chart, which is not truly effective on radio," Conan told his listeners.

Kucinich was not deterred.

"Well, it's effective if Howard can see it," he replied.


*copied from an old board post, the link no longer works*

[stephanie]

That the Dems are forming yet another pointless committee I don't doubt. That it'll accomplish anything I seriously doubt.

The media will hide behind the First, as they always do.

But isn't this more of a target for the radio......Such as Rush and other conservative talk radio?

[manu1959]

so the dems wish to ensure the market that they can not penetrate....radio....is forced to give them equal time......do you think they will make the LA times publish all the even pages with GOP spin?

[stephanie]

so the dems wish to ensure the market that they can not penetrate....radio....is forced to give them equal time......do you think they will make the LA times publish all the even pages with GOP spin?

What would Msnbc do if they had to have a conservative view on every night.......Their ratings are in the tank now, they couldn't afford to lose the moonbats........ :lmao:


I think the Dems. better think long and hard on this one.....It could come back to bite them in the ass...

[Mr. P]

But isn't this more of a target for the radio......Such as Rush and other conservative talk radio?

It sure is! They're going after the voices they can't refute, and there are many more than just Rush.

[Gaffer]

First of all kucinich is an ASS. One of the biggest ohio ever produced. May his shit come to life and jump up and lick him on the face.

Its a shot at talk radio that's he's making here. That's the media they don't control. So they want to try to regulate it in some way. There's a lot more out there than Rush. Jerry Doyle, Tammy Bruse, Hugh Hewitt, and many many more. He wants all of them silenced, not just having equal time. He's a true blue socialist.

His big claim to fame was being mayor of cleveland when the cleveland river caught fire and burned for days.

[avatar4321]

But isn't this more of a target for the radio......Such as Rush and other conservative talk radio?

this is exactly what it is. It isn't a coincidence that Rush Limbaugh started a year after the FCC did away with the Fairness Doctrine. And its not a coincidence the Democrats have been trying to restore it for years.

Of course, if they did bring it back, the political backlash might be exactly what we need to kick them out of office.

I propose we run ads in 2008 against everyone who supports this bill telling the people they were against free speech.

[Gunny]

But isn't this more of a target for the radio......Such as Rush and other conservative talk radio?

It targets free enterprise of the media outlet and freedom of choice for the individual. No surprise that Kucinich wants to legislate what the lefties can't get through popular choice. Typical lib tactic.

Perhaps a Republican should demand the same where television is concerned.

My initial reaction was to the fact that all we've heard since the election is how this Dem or that Dem is "going to start a committee on _______." Bureacratic waste, and attempting to justify their self-importance.

The Dems are just re-setting up shop as it was before. Cool with me. They accomplished nothing and in the end got booted for it.

[avatar4321]

It targets free enterprise of the media outlet and freedom of choice for the individual. No surprise that Kucinich wants to legislate what the lefties can't get through popular choice. Typical lib tactic.

Perhaps a Republican should demand the same where television is concerned.

My initial reaction was to the fact that all we've heard since the election is how this Dem or that Dem is "going to start a committee on _______." Bureacratic waste, and attempting to justify their self-importance.

The Dems are just re-setting up shop as it was before. Cool with me. They accomplished nothing and in the end got booted for it.

They want to apply cable to this as well. Harry Reid spoke a few months back about "balancing" Fox News and even CNN (Apparently CNN is too right wing for them)

So how long do you think it will be before they have a major scandal? i give them two months.

[Gaffer]

They want to apply cable to this as well. Harry Reid spoke a few months back about "balancing" Fox News and even CNN (Apparently CNN is too right wing for them)

So how long do you think it will be before they have a major scandal? i give them two months.

As if FOX doesn't have enough leftwing pundits they want to add more? Are they going to make msnbc put on right wing pundits?

Major scandle. Before Feburary is out.

[jillian]

So you guys think it's ok for a few companies, like Murdoch's Newscorp to own most of the media in this country?

I'm constantly amazed at how backwards you get this stuff. This isn't an infringement on free speech, nor a pointless exercise. The media and admin do business together. If the admin doesn't like a position taken by one of the major players, Bush's FCC has a history of denying companies the right to buy or sell outlets. (I'm not saying this admin is the only one ever to engage in retribution, they just have more of a reputation for it than most.

This FCC has also relaxed ownership rules so as to allow our means of information to become almost monopoly-based.

[MIKESHARQ]

Is Fidel Castro in 'grave' condition? Is he dead? Is he in a coma? Would you trust Granma to tell you the truth? Granma is the widely read official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party.

Cuban media is controlled by the Cuban government through anti-government propaganda laws. The national newspapers of Cuba are not directly published by the government. They are published by various Cuban political organizations, notably the Cuban Communist Party, which is the only legal party in Cuba.

The 1st Amendment of the US Constitution states: “Congress shall make no law...abridging the freedom of speech or of the press…” It would seem that law in Cuba and law in the United States are very much at odds.

Hold on; maybe not. The ill named “fairness doctrine”, a regulation issued by the Federal Radio Commission and played with by its successor, the Federal Communications Commission, since 1969, attempts to control speech over the licensed airwaves through its bureaucracy and the Federal Courts. This regulation begs the constitutional question of whether radio, television and the internet are part of “The Press.” This writer’s opinion is that, if sent to the Supreme Court today, justices Roberts, Thomas, Scalia, and Alito, would say yea and Justices Souter, Breyer, Stevens, and Ginsburg would say nay and Justice Kennedy’s “swing vote” would decide whether you can listen to Boortz, Limbaugh and Hannity within sixty days of an election. The current makeup of the court makes it easy to understand why lefty democrats don’t want and fight, lie, cheat, and steals to keep strict constructionist jurist off the Supreme Court.

As reported by FMQB’s Website:


Over the weekend, the National Conference for Media Reform was held in Memphis, TN, with a number of notable speakers on hand for the event. Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) made a surprise appearance at the convention to announce that he would be heading up a new House subcommittee which will focus on issues surrounding the Federal Communications Commission.

The Presidential candidate said that the committee would be holding "hearings to push media reform right at the center of Washington.” The Domestic Policy Subcommittee of the House Government Reform Committee was to be officially announced this week in Washington, D.C., but Kucinich opted to make the news public early.

In addition to media ownership, the committee is expected to focus its attention on issues such as net neutrality and major telecommunications mergers. Also in consideration is the "Fairness Doctrine," which required broadcasters to present controversial topics in a fair and honest manner. It was enforced until it was eliminated in 1987. (By a Ronald Reagan Veto)

Kucinich said in his speech that "We know the media has become the servant of a very narrow corporate agenda" and added "we are now in a position to move a progressive (ed. comment read socialist / communist) agenda to where it is visible."

Now making things visible is not the usual democrat methodology. Take exempting American Samoa from the minimum wage bill just passed in the House of Representatives.

But hey Dopey Denny, bring that fairness doctrine garbage back out there in the daylight and see if the hue and cry from conservatives and the new alternative media doesn’t trump your intentions.

The Right will cover your lapdog main-stream mouthpieces with more lawsuits, for fairness, than the ACLU has lawyers.

Mike Sharq

[Gaffer]

now days democrat = communist. Was worth saying again.

[jillian]

now days democrat = communist. Was worth saying again.


Not really. I think believing that is kinda silly, actually.

[Gaffer]

Not really. I think believing that is kinda silly, actually.

The old democratic party that you belong to is history, the liberals aka communists have taken it over. They are full fledged socialists with a socialist agenda.

[stephanie]

The old democratic party that you belong to is history, the liberals aka communists have taken it over. They are full fledged socialists with a socialist agenda.

You can say that again...

I hope the American people wake up......before it's too late...:(

[MIKESHARQ]

Jillian:

I think it may seem I pick on your post but I'm not.

Please read paragraph three of the quoted report specifically "net neutrality"
The FCC, cannot any more regulate political broadcast fairness than some government agency could impose neutrality on the internet.

ABC(Disney), CBS(Lowes), MSNBC(Microsoft & General Electric), CNBC(Same), and CNN(Time Warner) more than offset Herr Ruppert, doncha think?

[MIKESHARQ]

I saw the Cayauhoga(sp?) burn. Too bad DOPEY DENNY didn't burn up with it.

[jillian]

Jillian:

I think it may seem I pick on your post but I'm not.

Please read paragraph three of the quoted report specifically "net neutrality"
The FCC, cannot any more regulate political broadcast fairness than some government agency could impose neutrality on the internet.

ABC(Disney), CBS(Lowes), MSNBC(Microsoft & General Electric), CNBC(Same), and CNN(Time Warner) more than offset Herr Ruppert, doncha think?

Right... they just approve and disapprove purchases of media outlets. There are repercussions beyond what is done openly. And, not really, re offsetting Rupert. They still have business before the FCC and they all have corporate agenda. The whole point of limiting the numbers of outlets owned in each state was to allow multiple voices. And that's what's being destroyed. So, you think those are all lefty outlets. What they are are CORPORATE outlets.

[jillian]

The old democratic party that you belong to is history, the liberals aka communists have taken it over. They are full fledged socialists with a socialist agenda.

You might think that, but on the other side, we see the Repubs as having been taken over by the rabid right and evangelicals. So there ya go. Each party has extremists and, theoretically, moderates. I can assure you that no democrat I know (and most of the people I know are dems) are communists.

[MIKESHARQ]

Jillian:

CJR's online guide to what major media companies own:

Advance
American Media, Inc.
Belo
Bertelsmann
Cablevision
CanWest Global Communications
CBS
Cisneros Group of Companies
Citadel Broadcasting
Clear Channel Communications
Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.
Comcast
Copley Press Inc.
Corus Entertainment NEW
Cox Enterprises
Cumulus
Disney
Dow Jones & Company
Emmis Communications Corp.
Entercom Communications
E.W. Scripps
Fisher Communications NEW
Freedom Communications
Gannett
General Electric
Hachette Filipacchi
Hearst Corporation
Journal Register Company
Landmark Communications
Lee Enterprises
Liberty Group Publishing
Liberty Media Corp.
LIN TV Corp.
McGraw-Hill
Media General
MediaNews Group, Inc.
Meredith
McClatchy Company
Morris Communications Corp.
News Corporation
New York Times Co.
Pearson
Primedia
Reed Elsevier
Rogers Communications
Sinclair
Sony
Standard Radio NEW
Stephens NEW
Time Warner
Tribune Company
Viacom
Vivendi Universal
Vulcan
Washington Post Co.
Young Broadcasting

Seems a rather large list to me!

[Gaffer]

Right... they just approve and disapprove purchases of media outlets. There are repercussions beyond what is done openly. And, not really, re offsetting Rupert. They still have business before the FCC and they all have corporate agenda. The whole point of limiting the numbers of outlets owned in each state was to allow multiple voices. And that's what's being destroyed. So, you think those are all lefty outlets. What they are are CORPORATE outlets.

Its not about how many stations are owned by big companies. Its about silencing talk radio and getting more lefties like alan colmes their own shows on FOX. If kucinich is behind it it ain't good for anyone.

[Gaffer]

You might think that, but on the other side, we see the Repubs as having been taken over by the rabid right and evangelicals. So there ya go. Each party has extremists and, theoretically, moderates. I can assure you that no democrat I know (and most of the people I know are dems) are communists.

I agree the repubs have been taken over by the religous right.

Did you know that the head of the communist party in 1972 decided not to run for president because the dems stole his plateform almost word for word. All he really had to do was become a democrat. It's been that way ever since and is getting progressively worse. You and your friends are old party. Not many of them left in the hierarchy of the dem party now. which limits my voting choices even more.

[MIKESHARQ]

Men LIB/DEMs 3 most oft told lies:

I’m not married. (Same as other version)

Check’s in the mail. (Same as other version)

I’m from the government and I’m here to help, and take care of you from womb to tomb (if I don’t crush your tiny little head just before you’re born), make things fair, balanced, and progressive. (NEW VERSION)

[jillian]

Its not about how many stations are owned by big companies. Its about silencing talk radio and getting more lefties like alan colmes their own shows on FOX. If kucinich is behind it it ain't good for anyone.

No. I think it's more about making sure their lies are challenged by having multiple outlets. Besides, if you look at the whole broad range of media, it's right-wing dominated because the righties were smart enough to start entrenching themselves two decades ago when the moderates and left were complacent.

I don't believe in monopolies... benevolent or not.

[jillian]

I agree the repubs have been taken over by the religous right.

Did you know that the head of the communist party in 1972 decided not to run for president because the dems stole his plateform almost word for word. All he really had to do was become a democrat. It's been that way ever since and is getting progressively worse. You and your friends are old party. Not many of them left in the hierarchy of the dem party now. which limits my voting choices even more.

No. Didn't know that.

I don't agree in terms of the Dems, but I will say that it's become clear that each party tries to appeal to its extremes because that's where the untapped votes are. Until Bush ran for president, conventional wisdom was that you ran to the extremes for the primaries and then came to the middle for the general election. The way things are now, everything is so polarized, with only a narrow margin of victory either way, that the parties appeal to their loonies so they're motivated to get out and vote.

In truth, I think most people in this country are just to the left or right of center. Their voices are being drowned out by the shrillness of the nutters.

[Gaffer]

No. Didn't know that.

I don't agree in terms of the Dems, but I will say that it's become clear that each party tries to appeal to its extremes because that's where the untapped votes are. Until Bush ran for president, conventional wisdom was that you ran to the extremes for the primaries and then came to the middle for the general election. The way things are now, everything is so polarized, with only a narrow margin of victory either way, that the parties appeal to their loonies so they're motivated to get out and vote.

In truth, I think most people in this country are just to the left or right of center. Their voices are being drowned out by the shrillness of the nutters.

You right about that, but the extremes are getting full control of the parties instead of just being that primary base anymore.

People like Buchanan and falwell are extreme right that only have relavence because the conservatives had power. I never liked them or wanted to vote for them. But when I look at the left with dean and poloski and kennedy and kerry. Those people are even more extreme and offer a far worse future than the right extremists who can be kept in line by centralist repubs and moderate dems.