zamboniavenger

I'm not sure if this topic has been discussed before, but if it has it needs to brought up again.

On June 2nd, the FCC (headed by Colin Powell's son Michael) will be meeting to vote on some very important laws regarding media ownership and deregulation. This issue has gotten very little press for such a crucial issue, in part I suppose because the media giants do not want the American public to know what is going on.

Basically, the laws are about cross-ownership of television, radio, and newspapers. This PBS site gives a short overview of the laws that are in danger. There are laws about how many radio stations one corp. can own in one market, a law that prohibits one corp. from owning TV stations that reach more than 35 percent of the nation, and laws about owning TV stations, radio stations, and newspapers in one market.

This site gives another good rundown on the situation.
This is a from that site...
Maintaining a diversity of opinions in the media is essential in a democracy. Local news would also be in danger. If you don't care about that, then think about how bad radio has gotten since the Telecom Act of 1996. It could get even worse. This is a dramatic reshaping of the way media works, and it will benefit only giant corporations like Clear Channel and AOL Time Warner.

Contact the FCC here, and let them know how you feel.