Bloody Holly
01-11-2008, 10:07 PM
This is why they fear Ron Paul and keep bringing up Ronald Reagan. It's because Ronald Reagan helped reversing regulation laws that prohibited massive media buyouts.
It seems to make sense with how the media chooses who to endorse based on who panders the most, what ties the person has and possible promises of no reversals to bring back fair media.
A Brief History of Media Regulation
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established through the Communications Act of 1934. The FCC was created as an independent government agency charged with the regulation of interstate and international communications by television, wire, satellite, radio, and cable. The new Commission was in charge of ensuring that the limited broadcast airwaves owned by the public were used to their benefit.
In the 1940s, when larger media companies started to gain immense power, the federal government began a series of regulations to keep the power and influence of the corporations in check. In 1941, the Local Radio Ownership Rule and the National Television Ownership Rules were written into law. The new laws fit in with the anti-monopoly sentiments of the early 1940s, which made it easier for the passage and support of these anti-media monopoly issues . The law stated that any given broadcaster would henceforth be barred from owning television stations that reached over 35% of U.S. homes. In 1946, the Dual Television Network Rule was enacted, which prevented any major network from purchasing another.
In 1949, the Fairness Doctrine was established. The Fairness Doctrine was a major step forward in limiting the power of media corporations' control over communications systems and remains a model relevant in today's marketplace. It established that the media needed to serve the public interest in certain ways. It also emphasized the importance of allowing all points of view to be heard. In the words of the Media Access Project, an organization dedicated to improving media democracy, "for fifty years, the fairness doctrine advanced the public's First Amendment right to receive information on important issues. The fairness doctrine arises from the principle, reaffirmed by Congress and the United States Supreme Court, that broadcasters have special public trustee obligations, which they voluntarily incur in exchange for the exclusive use of scarce public airwaves." The Doctrine sought to ensure that the media served as a vehicle for the public to access to information and to make certain that controversial issues of public importance would be discussed in fair and balanced ways.
The concern for a diverse media ownership continued into the 1960s and 1970s. In 1964, the Local TV Multiple Ownership Rule was written into law. This law prevented owning multiple television stations in any given market, unless there are more than 8 stations within the market. In 1970, the Radio/TV Cross Ownership Rule was founded, which prevented big media from owning a television and radio station in the same market jurisdiction. Similarly, owning both a broadcast television station and a newspaper was barred in 1975.
Then, in the early 1980s, the wave of media regulation stopped. President Ronald Reagan began reversing regulation laws and systematically demolishing media restraints. First, Reagan rescinded the rules that ensured that non-entertainment programming would be broadcast. Reagan then initiated the major overturn of media regulation policy in 1987, when the Bush administration sought to put an end to the Fairness Doctrine. In the court case Meredith Corp. v. FCC, the courts ruled that the FCC was no longer responsible for regulating the Fairness Doctrine because Congress did not mandate it.
http://www.wifp.org/FCCandMediaDemocracy.html
Look for mainstream media buying out newpapers and controlling them too since FCC loosened newspaper-broadcast ownership.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6513656.html
It seems to make sense with how the media chooses who to endorse based on who panders the most, what ties the person has and possible promises of no reversals to bring back fair media.
A Brief History of Media Regulation
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) was established through the Communications Act of 1934. The FCC was created as an independent government agency charged with the regulation of interstate and international communications by television, wire, satellite, radio, and cable. The new Commission was in charge of ensuring that the limited broadcast airwaves owned by the public were used to their benefit.
In the 1940s, when larger media companies started to gain immense power, the federal government began a series of regulations to keep the power and influence of the corporations in check. In 1941, the Local Radio Ownership Rule and the National Television Ownership Rules were written into law. The new laws fit in with the anti-monopoly sentiments of the early 1940s, which made it easier for the passage and support of these anti-media monopoly issues . The law stated that any given broadcaster would henceforth be barred from owning television stations that reached over 35% of U.S. homes. In 1946, the Dual Television Network Rule was enacted, which prevented any major network from purchasing another.
In 1949, the Fairness Doctrine was established. The Fairness Doctrine was a major step forward in limiting the power of media corporations' control over communications systems and remains a model relevant in today's marketplace. It established that the media needed to serve the public interest in certain ways. It also emphasized the importance of allowing all points of view to be heard. In the words of the Media Access Project, an organization dedicated to improving media democracy, "for fifty years, the fairness doctrine advanced the public's First Amendment right to receive information on important issues. The fairness doctrine arises from the principle, reaffirmed by Congress and the United States Supreme Court, that broadcasters have special public trustee obligations, which they voluntarily incur in exchange for the exclusive use of scarce public airwaves." The Doctrine sought to ensure that the media served as a vehicle for the public to access to information and to make certain that controversial issues of public importance would be discussed in fair and balanced ways.
The concern for a diverse media ownership continued into the 1960s and 1970s. In 1964, the Local TV Multiple Ownership Rule was written into law. This law prevented owning multiple television stations in any given market, unless there are more than 8 stations within the market. In 1970, the Radio/TV Cross Ownership Rule was founded, which prevented big media from owning a television and radio station in the same market jurisdiction. Similarly, owning both a broadcast television station and a newspaper was barred in 1975.
Then, in the early 1980s, the wave of media regulation stopped. President Ronald Reagan began reversing regulation laws and systematically demolishing media restraints. First, Reagan rescinded the rules that ensured that non-entertainment programming would be broadcast. Reagan then initiated the major overturn of media regulation policy in 1987, when the Bush administration sought to put an end to the Fairness Doctrine. In the court case Meredith Corp. v. FCC, the courts ruled that the FCC was no longer responsible for regulating the Fairness Doctrine because Congress did not mandate it.
http://www.wifp.org/FCCandMediaDemocracy.html
Look for mainstream media buying out newpapers and controlling them too since FCC loosened newspaper-broadcast ownership.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6513656.html