| |
 |
Wednesday, April 30, 2003 |
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows."
- - Martin Luther King, Jr.
APRIL 30th IN HISTORY:
1977 - - 1404 arrested at Seabrook, New Hampshire occupation of nuclear power plant site.
1996 - - About 120 activists arrested over the next 8 days in Washington, D.C., in support of a White House fast by Sister Diana Ortiz. Ortiz was kidnapped, tortured, & raped by US-trained & supported Guatemalan Army officers in 1989; she was fasting to demand the US government release info on her assailants.
RHINO HERE:
I begin today having to eat a bit of crow, which is especially difficult to do being a vegetarian. Yesterday's "April 29th in History" stated that 4 students were killed by National Guardsmen at Ohio State University. Not so. As stated, 7 students were shot but none were killed. The infamous "4 Dead in O-HI-O" actually happened at Kent State University. Sorry 'bout that.
Today we're doing dessert first. THE BOTTOM LINE is at the top. And below that are suggestions for actions you can take to help stop what Media Mogul Barry Diller calls the Media Oligopoly. The time to take action is from now untill May 5th. I urge you to read Bill Moyers' very intellegent interview with Diller, and then join me in exerting our influence on the future of The People's Airwaves.
BARRY DILLER'S BIO IS POSTED AT:
http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/diller.html
7:54:43 AM 
|
|
Bill Moyers talks with Barry Diller
Now TV Show, PBS, 4/25/03
BILL MOYERS: Many things can be said about Barry Diller. But what he says about himself goes right to the point. "I've not conducted my life in the service of smallness," understates the man who created Fox Broadcasting and ran some of the world's media giants: ABC Entertainment, Paramount, Vivendi Universal. And is even now chairman and CEO of USA Interactive, itself an empire of informational services from the Home Shopping Network to Ticketmaster.
"Second," says Barry Diller, "I am a contrarian." This is the man, after all, who at the failing Paramount Studio took a huge gamble on a movie called SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. Everyone else said it was a sure loser. It then broke every box office record and moved Paramount from last to first place in the motion picture business.
Now, once again, Barry Diller is shaking up the media world. A couple weeks ago in Las Vegas, he stunned an audience of broadcasters with a speech in a moment where fewer and fewer conglomerates own and determine more and more of what we see, hear and read. And the FCC is about to allow them to own even more. Barry Diller said, "Whoa. We've gone too far." He's here to talk about that contrarian idea. Welcome to NOW.
BARRY DILLER: Nice to be here.
BILL MOYERS: Why now? Why did you choose this moment to speak out on media conglomeration?
BARRY DILLER: Well, I don't know. Maybe because, you know, all the forces are, so to speak, gathered. What's happened is, is that this oligopoly that was attempted to be prevented by regulation over the last 30 years. You know? 30 years ago, three companies controlled 90 percent of everything we heard or saw. And that was a bad idea. Now four companies, five companies control 90 percent of everything we see.
BILL MOYERS: Oligopoly. That's your word. I mean, that's a very strong word.
BARRY DILLER: Well, it certainly isn't an exaggeration.
BILL MOYERS: What do you mean by it?
BARRY DILLER: What I mean is, is that is that a very… a handful of companies are in charge of everything both vertically and horizontally that you get to see through a screen, a television screen not a computer screen. And I think… what I do think has to come along with that are rules and regulations that will make it so. That what we do not have in this country is a media and communications business that has no other voices in it. No air in it...
READ THE ENTIRE INTERVIEW AT:
http://www.pbs.org/now/transcript/transcript_diller.html
7:10:02 AM
|
|
MEDIA CHALLENGE! - An urgent action from Peace Coalitions for April 28-May 5
The FCC is about to put vital control of media in this country in a very few hands - and quickly needs to be stopped. Under "deregulation" rules proposed by the Federal Communications Commission, the already dangerous monopoly of TV and radio (and therefore of news, public thought and action) would dramatically worsen.The five corporations that own TV networks would be green-lighted to buy up each other. Local TV and radio stations would be swallowed by larger companies. Local newspapers and broadcast outlets would be allowed to purchase each other.
In a few years, Fox, General Electric and the radio giant Clear Channel - the most ambitious players - would potentially have an iron grip on the way the majority of the public gets its information. These companies have shown no interest in the public good, only in protecting their bottom lines while putting out news that is more deceiving than informing, when not actually right-wing propaganda - witness the leadup to and coverage of the Iraq war.
The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee is preparing to hold crucial hearings on the proposed FCC deregulation. FCC chair Michael Powell is promising a vote on the new FCC regulations by June 2. The media giants have spent huge amounts to buy support in Congress and have cleansed their news of any critical reporting on the Bush administration. Breaking with the industry line, mogul Barry Diller recently told Bill Moyers deregulation would greatly increase oligarchic control of media.
Join the new Media Challenge! actions. Contact Congress and the FCC to stop this anti-democratic takeover. Here's how to do it:
Media Challenge Action 1 (essential):
+ Go to www.mediareform.net: http://www.mediareform.net
+ Click to send your message to your Congressional Representatives and the FCC demanding they retain current media ownership rules.
+ The automatic message will also demand that Congress direct the FCC to extend its June 2 deadline and to release any proposed rule changes for public debate before acting on them. It will further ask Congress to conduct its own public hearings on any FCC rule changes.
Media Challenge! Action 2
Contact these members of the Senate Commerce Committee (essential, especially McCain):
+ Senator John McCain, Phone: (202) 224-2235; Fax: (202) 228-2862;
john_mccain@mccain.senate.gov
+ Senator Frtiz Hollings, Phone: (202) 224-6121; fax: 202.224.4293;
http://hollings.senate.gov
+ Senator Barbara Boxer, Phone: (202) 224-3553 or (415) 403-0100; fax:
415.956.6701; boxer.senate.gov
Contact these FCC Commissioners:
+ Chairman Michael Powell, 202-418-1000, mpowell@fcc.gov
+ Commissioner Kevin J. Martin: kjmweb@fcc.gov
+ Commissioner Kathleen Q. Abernathy: kabernat@fcc.gov
Sample Letter or Comment to Congress folks and FCC:
Dear (Senator or Commissioner):
Re: Upcoming FCC vote on media deregulation.
Further consolidation of the media in the name of "deregulation" must be halted. The media companies have failed in their public trust to provide unbiased information about most crucial issues, most notably the recent coverage of the war in Iraq. As an American concerned about our democracy, I call on you to challenge the media conglomerates, to open the broadcast spectrum to a diverse range of journalists and opinions, and to reinstate the Fairness Doctrine. Oppose media deregulation.
Media Challenge! Action 3 (helpful).
+ Call or write network news bosses (see contacts below).
+ Tell them you want prominent daily coverage of the upcoming FCC vote, the most important media question in a decade.
+ Challenge them to report on their network's efforts to influence Congress and the FCC via campaign donations.
+ Challenge them to stop protecting the Administration and report on lies about Iraqi weapons of mass destruction exposed in the print media, on its environmental record, on the huge cutbacks coming in education, social and health programs and veterans benefits as money is shifted to campaign contributors for work in Iraq or to the wealthy in forms of new tax deductions.
ABC NEWS CHIEF David Westin. 212.456.6200. fax: 212.456.4292,
ABC NEWS DIRECTOR Mimi Gurbst. 212 456 4050 fax.212 456 2795
ABC SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 212.456-7777. NEWSROOM fax 212.456.2795
MSNBC NEWS CHIEF Mark Effron. 201.583.5101. fax: 201.583.5199, mark.effron@msnbc.com MSNBC NEWS DIRECTOR Alison Hawley. 201 583 5155, fax. 201 583 5512
MSNBC SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 201.583.5000, fax: 201.583.5590
NBC NEWS CHIEF Neil Shapiro. 212.664.4773. fax: 212.664.2264, neal.shapiro@nbc.com
NBC NEWS DIRECTOR Thomas Ferraro 201 583 5231 fax 201 583 5222
NBC SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 212.664.4444. fax: 201.583.5453
CBS NEWS CHIEF Andrew Hayward. 212.975.7825. fax: 212.975.7429. mg3@cbsnews.com
NEWS DIRECTOR Marty Gill 212 975 6121 fax. 212 9754114
CBS SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 212.975.4321 fax: 212.975.1893
CNN NEWS CHIEF Eason Jordan. 404.827.5111. fax: 404.827.4215. eason.jordan@cnn.com
CNN NEWS DIRECTOR Kim Bondy. 404 827 1500. fax. 404 827 1099
CNN NEWSROOM 404.827.1500 . 404.827.1500. cnnfutures@cnn.com,
PBS FACTUAL PROGRAMMING CHIEF Sandy Heberer 703.739.5036
PBS NEWS CHIEF, SANDY SOWERS 703-998-2150 newshour@pbs.org
PBS SWITCHBOARD (ASK FOR NEWSROOM) 703.998.2600.
FOX NEWS CHIEF: John Moody. 212.301.8560. fax: 212.398.8726. john.moody@foxnews.com NEWS DIRECTOR Kathleen Ardleigh 212 3013186 fax. 212-301-5067
FOX SWITCHBOARD (ASK
FOR NEWSROOM) 212.575.4670. fax: 212.301.8274
MEDIA CHALLENGE! is co-sponsored by: Projects4Peace, ICUJP (Interfaith Communities United for Justice and Peace), Neighbors for Peace and Justice, Coalition for World Peace, Global Guardianship Initiative, Code Pink for Peace, Peace on the Beach, Peace Warriors, LA International A.N.S.W.E.R., Not in Our Name, Global Women1s Strike and Southern Cal. Americans for Democratic Action, Americans Against War With IraqFor more information about Media Challenge! and what the news networks are not telling you go to projects4peace.org and click on Media.
Feeling empowered? Wanna do more on this issue?
GO TO:
http://www.mediareform.net/takeaction.php?issue=1
"RHINO'S BLOG" is the responsibility of Gary Rhine. (rhino@kifaru.com)
Feedback, and requests to be added or deleted from the list are encouraged.
SEARCH BLOG ARCHIVES / SURF RHINO'S LINKS, AT:
http://www.rhinosblog.info
RHINO'S OTHER WEB SITES:
http://www.dreamcatchers.org (INDIGENOUS ASSISTANCE & INTERCULTURAL DIALOG)
http://www.kifaru.com (NATIVE AMERICAN RELATIONS VIDEO DOCUMENTARIES)
Articles are reprinted under Fair Use Doctrine of international copyright law.
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
All copyrights belong to original publisher.
7:01:39 AM
|
|
© Copyright 2005 Gary Rhine.
|
|
