FCC relaxes media ownership rules
The Federal Communications Commission voted to relax media ownership limits today.
Here’s an article, a list of major media companies and their holdings, and some detailed information about the changes from Reuters.
What does this mean for us? It means that more of the media can be owned and controlled by fewer people and businesses. Someone in New York City might be able to decide what gets broadcast in Appleton, Wisconsin. What does someone in New York City know about Appleton? How is that person going to choose programming that’s relevant and appropriate for that community? What if the citizens of Appleteon don’t like the broadcasting coming out of New York City?
Now, what if that same company owned all the radio and television stations across the entire state of Wisconsin? What happens to local programming? What happens to local issues? What happens to the interests of the local community? Think about it. Whoever owns the information, whoever owns the means of dissemination, has control over a lot. And it’s not just information. Think about the portrayal of and programming for minorities on the major networks. Wonder about how the major networks cover certain issues, address certain audiences, show families, deal with homosexuality, and highlight the role of women in society. Ponder how many of the television shows are very similar, like reality shows or police/detective and law shows. Consider how network programming shows or doesn’t show certain careers. Remember how older people complain that all that’s on television anymore is sex and violence and it isn’t worth watching? Are these things going to get better or worse when fewer people and businesses control more of the media?
Listen to some of the National Public Radio stories about the deregulation issue and learn more about media deregulation and its impact on society.
