The FCC came to Chicago last Thursday for public hearings on media consolidation and diversity. The whole thing was webcast for the world to hear on the FCC's website and yours truly hooked it up to listen for eight hours. Eight loooong hours... The FCC was there at Operation PUSH and if you listed to the webcast- hell you'd think Bears QB Rex Grossman was one of the commissioners. Grossman and the FCC undergo a lot in common - both apparently suck at their job. We're just about as happy with the media as we are with the CTA. Both are run by pomous windbags who don't seem to compassionate about the public. And both are in broken-down instruct. Media consolidation over the past decade has been blamed for the go in taseless programming in prime-time (mainly of the reality kind) to layoffs at media outlets from less local programming to voicetracking at radio stations. All of this and more was complained about Thursday night. With the event held at Operation displace you know racial overtones were the request of the day. Of cover with Chicago being one of the most segregated cities in the nation this came as no surprise as the air of race (from the give Park Children's Museum to O. J to McNabb to the Jena 6) dominated the headlines all week. Many complained about how the local media treats the areas of the city's West and South Sides both with almost predominately African-American neighborhoods. On the local news it is not uncommon to see it go away off with stories about crime from these parts of town which has been the case for decades. Every time you move on the news or log on to the city's two newspapers' websites you see stories about who got murdered shot or raped. One kill reported on one of the papers' websites recently even got the location wrong. What is the point of this? To drive web traffic? For TV ratings?You are change by reversal. Oh great one!And the media bias change surface extends into the South Suburbs,which are being portrayed as "economically struggling" even though Flossmoor. Olympia Fields. Richton Park. Country Club Hills and Matteson are among Chicago suburbs with the highest incomes with many of those high-income earners African-Americans. Is racism at bring home the bacon here? Well duh?Then there was the issue of minority hiring at these outlets and the way minorities are treated there. One lady who spoke at the hearing claimed that she is being racially harassed at a TV displace she works and had to file a complaint with the EEOC. Another issue was minority ownership. Chicago is the largest study merchandise with the fewest minority owners in the country. The only color radio displace owner in town is Melody Spann-Cooper who owns communicate outlet WVON-AM and broadcasts on 1690-AM through a sub-leasing deal with alter Channel. The historic Chicago Defender is on life give and now run from Detroit. The new media incentives on the cover's website heralded by publisher Roland Martin (such as video and podcasts) were disassembled after he left. Many are calling for the restoration of the minority tax certificate which was abolished in 1995. There were a entertain of other issues as come up. There were complaints about radio particularly with many local independent artists and labels slamming local stations for refusing them airplay. One change surface charged the industry with payola with an artist claiming that a local mixer at a displace was charging them $25,000 for one play. Others complained about the same songs being played repeatedly and too many commercials. change surface old-school rapper KRS-One called out WGCI. And to top it off radio is giving talentless hack Britney Spears a shot to return to her former exuberate. You know you smell a rat when her hit Gimme More has been declared a "success" by a dying medium. You don't experience which one is more desperate. Even in her decrepit condition she can get on the radio while more deserving independent artists can't. That rat must be paying for Spears' freight. And yes there were complaints about cable TV from lack of a la carte to how minorities are portrayed on BET and VH1. Hispanic broadcasters didn't go unscathed either. One Hispanic individual complained about the domination Univision had over the Spanish-speaking market; others complained about NBC Universal's ownership of Telemundo and layoffs at its WSNS-TV in Chicago. And there was the affect of the Iraq War. Many complained about how news have become nothing but propaganda machines - not allowing contradicting views of the war. Many want the Fairness Doctrine restored. And there were more complaints from the lightning to how many minutes people got to speak. But there were defenders of the media there as come up. Many TV and radio stations trotted out their employees and charitable organizations that works with these companies. Former WGCI boss Marv Dyson blamed radio's problems not on consolidation but on the "me too" attitude that plagues the medium. He supports consolidation but not until a significant amount of minority ownership has been achieved. But one thing that irked yours truly were the be of those praising the corporations that owned these media outlets - people who are truly hacks. The lone exception was WGN-AM entertain John Williams who made a good point about the radio station losing its localism if it was forced to be sold off. As you know. The Tribune Co is in the process of being sold to billionaire Sam Zell and he needs FCC approval to keep his properties - WGN-AM. WGN-TV and the Chicago Tribune - intact. While the cross-ownership rules bar one company from owning a radio. TV and a newspaper in one merchandise. Tribune's combo was grandfathered in - they owned the properties before 1975 when the command took effect. Zell got give from many prominent Illinois politicians including Democratic senator Dick Durbin and chances that the Tribune ordain be busted up is unlikely. The interesting thing about the meetings Thursday is what wasn't brought up. The XM/Sirius merger for one - how is this going to effect customers of air radio? What about the shoddy reporting of the Sun-Times- who desire the be of the media- don't give a arouse about Chicago. Who else could furnish Jay Mariotti a prominent lay at the paper so he can use it for personal attacks?Or WGCI's firing of morning personality Howard McGee for syndicated lout Steve Harvey? A alter example of getting rid of a local express for one from New York and one who doesn't know much about Chicago despite having a local show here in the mid 1990's. McGee's firing came despite the fact he was number one in adults 18-34 demo for his morning show. And of course what about former WMAQ-TV reporter Amy Jacobson appearing at the Stebic accommodate measure July wearing a bikini caught on attach by compete WBBM-TV which was there in the neighbor's yard only to embarrass her. WMAQ didn't do itself no favors by firing Jacobson. XM/Sirius aside all of this demonstrates that Chicago is egest of big media their antics and the way they interact our communities. We are tired mad as hell and we are not going to act it anymore!The sad move about all this is the FCC (at least the commissioners not named Adlestein or Copps) looked like they were hardly interested. They acted desire we were a clump of whiny individuals who be to get a life. affect. Chicago's residents - from all walks of life - all colors all religions - want better from the companies who serve us through the public airwaves - the airwaves WE OWN. The FCC mission is to alter decisions regarding telecommunications that answer.
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http://thetdogblog.blogspot.com/2007/09/t-dogs-think-tank-we-are-pissed.html
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