By Darren Weeks
Tomorrow, the Federal Communications Commission will ruin television in the same way they ruined radio back in 1996.
Less choices; less voices. More high-dollar companies; more media syndication. Less local control; less access to the media for individuals such as you and I.
If the airwaves belong to the people, the bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. must believe that the people consist of a handful of rich executives from Clear Channel, Viacom, and Disney.
If the commission does as they are expected, media consolidation will increase, as will syndication. Local programming will further be squeezed out.
I really think it is time for the FCC to be disbanded. They are doing a really lousy job, anyway. It is time for state governments to take over the regulation of the airwaves. In situations where signals cross state lines, state governments would have to work together on the details of how those patterns would be governed. It could be done. Where there is a will, there is a way. But, for heaven's sake, it's time to get the fed out of it!
For background on what the unelected bureaucrats plan to do to further restrict your access to the media in this country, read this article from the Oakland Press.
And to further understand the problem from the perspectives of some of my colleagues, read the Southeast and Mid-Michigan buzzboards.
Diversity is good when it comes to media ownership.
