Notable Quotes Against Media Consolidation
May 19, 2003
In 2003, more than 3 million Americans spoke out against proposed FCC rules changes that could lead to further media consolidation. We wanted to give you some notable quotes from a broad range of artists, politicians, members of the media, advocacy groups, and even the FCC Commissioners themselves, concerning the ramifications of what the FCC is considering:
FCC
"I wonder if the media is incapable of covering itself. They keep Americans in the dark on this issue."
-- FCC Commissioner Jonathan S. Adelstein, in Lane, Terry. "Copps Flirts With Releasing Media Ownership Draft to Public." Communications Daily, May 12, 2003
"There has already been a tremendous amount of consolidation and that has had some severe consequences. These are changes of terrible importance to the future of the country, and it is hard to see how further deregulation promotes diversity, competition and localism."
-- FCC Commissioner Michael Copps, in Labaton, Stephen. "Give-and-Take F.C.C. Aims to Redraw Media Map." The New York Times, May 11, 2003.
"Candidly, I am troubled. I am concerned about media concentration, particularly in radio."
-- FCC Chairman Michael Powell, in testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, Jan. 14, 2003. Reported in McChesney, Robert, and John Nichols. "Media Democracy's Moment." The Nation, Feb. 24, 2003.
"I hope commissioners understand the significance, for decades to come, of what they're talking about doing. Once they open the Pandora's box, will they be able to control it?"
-- Former FCC Commissioner Reed Hundt, in Boehler, Eric. "Clear Channel's Big, Stinking Deregulation Mess." Salon.com. February 19, 2003.
Politicians
"The country is really standing on a cliff when it comes to media concentration. When you go over that cliff you are going to be fundamentally changing what this country is about, and not for the better."
-- Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), in Ho, David. "FCC Democrats Frustrated on Media Review." The Associated Press, May 10, 2003.
"Something is definitely shifting in the country and in Washington. Where just a few years ago most people did not think about media as an issue, and most members of Congress shied away from talking about how our media is failing to serve the public interest in even the most basic sense, now there is a real dialogue going on. And that dialogue is critical because it is forcing the FCC commissioners to listen to people other than industry lobbyists."
-- Rep. Bernard Sanders (I-VT), in McChesney, Robert, and John Nichols. "Media Democracy's Moment." The Nation, Feb. 24, 2003.
Artists
"The [monetary] consideration sought for radio airplay increased [after the 1996 Telecom Act] because there was less competition among radio stations and networks. These days, many radio stations are now demanding exclusive promotional concerts from certain artists who are on their way up the ladder of success. When these up-and-coming artists refuse, there can be negative repercussions. Many other artists are intimidated. They fear the consequences."
--Don Henley, in Jan. 30, 2003 testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee, on how media consolidation has affected relationships between radio stations, concert venues and artists, in Holland, Bill. "Foes Swap Barbs at Radio Ownership Hearings." Billboard, Feb. 8, 2003.
"A famous middle-aged rock-and-roller called me last week to thank me for speaking out against the war, only to go on to tell me that he could not speak himself because he fears repercussions from Clear Channel. 'They promote our concert appearances,' he said. 'They own most of the stations that play our music. I can't come out against this war'."
-- Tim Robbins, actor and antiwar activist, in an April 15 speech at the National Press Club, in Boehlert, Eric. "Habla usted Clear Channel?" Salon.com, April 24, 2003.
Media
"The gathering of more and more outlets under one owner clearly can be an impediment to a free and independent press."
-- Former CBS News anchorman Walter Cronkite, who has lobbied the FCC against adopting the relaxed media ownership guidelines, in Yang, Catherine. "The FCC's Loner is No Longer So Lonely." BusinessWeek, March 24, 2003.
"Our opposition to cross-ownership runs against our own business interests. It would eliminate a competitor and give us more control over the marketplace. If that's all we cared about, we'd be for it. The Blethen family could benefit financially from repeal of cross-ownership, but I guarantee you that the citizens of Seattle would not benefit from it."
--Seattle Times Publisher Frank Blethen, explaining why he supports maintaining a ban on TV and newspaper ownership in the same market, in Hickey, Neal. "Power Shift: As the FCC Prepares to Alter the Media Map, Battle Lines are Drawn." Columbia Journalism Review, March/April, 2003.
"We feel it's important for democracy that we have more voices, not fewer. Further consolidation is not good for the country. Our system of broadcasting is set up very clearly as being locally based. That's its strength."
-- Alan Frank, president of the Washington Post-Newsweek station group and chairman of the Network Affiliated Stations Alliance, which represents 600 stations across the U.S., in Hickey, Neal. "Power Shift: As the FCC Prepares to Alter the Media Map, Battle Lines are Drawn." Columbia Journalism Review, March/April, 2003.
"Clear Channel will do anything they can, threaten me, go to my clients directly, anything to get control of the markets. And once they've got that control they can do whatever they want, including raise the rates. They're a clear example of what can happen with deregulation. They've ruined radio, as far as I'm concerned. And now they're licking their chops to be able to control more of what the public sees and hears."
-- An owner of a southeastern advertising agency, in Boehler, Eric. "Clear Channel's Big, Stinking Deregulation Mess." Salon.com. February 19, 2003.
"'Relaxation of media ownership rules would make it more difficult for local station owners to select content appropriate for their communities,' Capitol Broadcasting CEO James Goodmon said. He said he decided not to air the Fox show Married by America on his North Carolina Fox affiliate, a decision he said was met with praise and complaints. 'We decided we weren't going to demean the institution of marriage. I'm not saying it was the best decision, but it was a decision,' he said. 'Do you think a manager of a Fox-owned station would make that kind of decision?''"
-- Jim Goodmon, in Lane, Terry. "Copps Flirts With Releasing Media Ownership Draft to Public." Communications Daily, May 12, 2003.
"This ownership review will change what citizens in every community in America receive on their local news, sports, weather and public affairs programs, as well as how they receive it, and it will determine the kind of national network programming that ultimately is available in their homes. This debate should not take place with deal making and concessions between a few major media companies and a government agency with appointed, not elected, officials."
-- Capitol Broadcasting President James F. Goodmon, in a letter to FCC Chairman Michael Powell, as reported by Labaton, Stephen. "Give-and-Take F.C.C. Aims to Redraw Media Map." The New York Times, May 11, 2003.
Concerned Groups
"[T]he radical deregulation of the radio industry . . . has led to less competition, fewer viewpoints, and less diversity in programming. ... The thing that upsets us . . . particularly with radio, is it's the only local medium left."
--Jenny Toomey, Future of Music Coalition executive director, in its November 2002 report "Radio Deregulation: Has It Served Citizens and Musicians?" in Jurkowitz, Mark. "Working to Tame the Giants: Four Who Fight Against Media Consolidation." The Boston Globe, April 30, 2003.
"Future of Music Coalition Executive Director Jenny Toomey said a letter to (FCC Chairman Michael) Powell opposing further media consolidation that was signed by dozens of A-list music celebrities got no coverage in the media. 'They make news without trying and there are hour-long shows about their wardrobe,' Toomey said of music celebrities signing the letter. 'But there was no coverage of this letter.' She said the diverse list of musicians included country stars Toby Keith and Tim McGraw, rock act Pearl Jam and crooner Neil Diamond."
-- --Jenny Toomey, Future of Music Coalition, in Lane, Terry. "Copps Flirts With Releasing Media Ownership Draft to Public." Communications Daily, May 12, 2003
"The vision these companies have for the media, at the end of the day, is a system for promoting advertising. I call it the 'brandwashing of America'."
-- Jeff Chester, executive director of the nonprofit Center for Digital Democracy, an organization that promotes media diversity, in Jurkowitz, Mark. "Working to Tame the Giants: Four Who Fight Against Media Consolidation." The Boston Globe, April 30, 2003.
"It used to be that there was an active enforcement, through license procedures and other regulation, of things like localism and diversity, so that people could be ensured a wide variety of information and entertainment. And that was in exchange for the public giving to the entertainment and news industry, for free, the licenses. Well, they still get those licenses for free, but now they have no obligations to fulfill. They simply do what they want to do."
--Marty Kaplan, associate dean of the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Southern California, in O'Sullivan, Mike. "Interest Groups, Corporations Debate Broadcast Industry Future." Voice of America News, April 30, 2003.
"Some advertisers and music industry players, after having witnessed the radical changes Clear Channel has worked on the radio landscape, have a foreboding sense of deja vu as they prepare for the Univision/HBC merger. 'We've already seen this with the Clear Channel model. It's basically a monopoly. If you want to buy outdoor advertising, it's Clear Channel. Radio, it's Clear Channel. Posters on bus shelters, concerts, event marketing? It's Clear Channel and it's their way or the highway'."
-- Liza Santana, operator of Creativas, a Miami ad agency, in Boehlert, Eric. "Habla usted Clear Channel?" Salon.com, April 24, 2003.
"The biggest impact [of media consolidation] is that we would have fewer and fewer people on the local level deciding what the news agenda is."
-- Linda Foley, president of the 35,000 member Newspaper Guild, part of the Communications Workers of America, in Hickey, Neal. "Power Shift: As the FCC Prepares to Alter the Media Map, Battle Lines are Drawn." Columbia Journalism Review. March/April, 2003.
"These decisions in June are hardly the end of it. There is a real effort to keep the FCC in check going forward. Cable ownership rules are up for review this summer. There will be a spate of mergers after the rules change, and organizing may be able to beat some of them back, and pushes for legislation to gain back some of what has been lost."
-- Andrew Schwartzmann of the Media Access Project, in Chester, Jeffrey and Don Hazen. "Showdown at the FCC," AlterNet.org, May 1, 2003.