media ownership – Page 3

Fighting Big Cable (and why it matters)

Harold July 31, 2005 March 19, 2013Cable, General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Most of my time the last few weeks has been taken up with cable ownership issues. If you want the short version and the immediate, easy action to take, click through to my friends at Free Press. For those interested in a little more detail and what else you can do, read on . . .

Media Reform Conference -Friday

Harold May 13, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Here are my notes from the various sessions.

FCC, Hartford and Tribune

Harold April 14, 2005 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

For them what follow media ownership at the local level, the recent doings in Hartford offer an interesting opportunity for some tea-leaf reading about how the FCC will address these issues. I’ll preface by saying I haven’t actually talked to anyone at the FCC about the case, so all this is just my educated guesses. But what’s life without speculation in an ignorance of actual facts . . .

Tales of the Sausage Factory: CBS & NBC Out Conservative Fox

Harold December 2, 2004 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

Viacom, the network that has vowed to fight the FCC’s indecency fine for the Jackson/Timberlake “Wardrobe Malfunction” all the way to the Supreme Court in the name of free speech, has rejected this advertisement by the United Church of Christ as “too controversial,” as has NBC. Fox, the “conservative network,” had no problems, nor did the ABC Family Channel. What gives? Disturbing implications discussed below.

Got a Lot in the NYT

Harold July 12, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The NYTimes has a couple of interesting articles worth discussing. You need a free subscription, and the links will probably die in a few weeks.

This doesn’t need much discussion, but I can’t help but point out another dig it my good buddies at Clear Channel. Similarly, while anyone who has read my thougfhts about media ownership won’t be surprised, I enjoyed the article on Sunday about the new documentary/video op ed by Robert Greenwald, Outfoxed. But this article also highlights the problems that come from the continued erosion of the fair use doctrine.

But the most pernicious piece is this article, which asks Are Used Bookstores Napster? Oh my stars! Have we really come to this, where folkks in the book industry have no shame about saying this stuff in the NY Times? I occassionaly joke to my son that we need to go to libraries before they become illegal. Ho ho.

On the other hand, I really wish the book industry would try to “fix” this “problem.” It might finally wake the rest of the public up to what’s at stake.

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Victory is SWEET!

Harold June 24, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I will have a lot more to say on this later, but the Third Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its decision on the FCC’s media ownership deregulation that took place last summer.

The result is a near total victory for MAP and the other public interest clients and the American people. The FCC’s June 2, 2003, deregulatory Order is reversed as not supported by logical reasoning based on the record. The court reverses and remands to the FCC, keeping the old rules in effect until the FCC resolves this mess. The court rejects the FCC’s position that the provision of the 1996 Act that requires the FCC to conduct a review of its ownership rules is “deregulatory” or that it prohibits the FCC from making ownership regulations more stringent. Instead, the FCC is supposed to review its ownership rules and decide whether the public interest requires the FCC to keep the rule, relax the rule, eliminate the rule, or make the rule even more stringent.

More information at our website.

YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Clear Channel Settlement Signals Indecency Running Out Of Steam

Harold June 10, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

The FCC and Clear Channel reached a settlement on all pending indecency proceedings involving Clear Channel. You can read a copy of the Consent Decree and the statements of the various Commissioners here. As usual, I’m more interested in what it means. To me, this says “the Bush Administration wants indecency to go away as an issue.” Surprised?

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Back From Vacation for West Wing Shout Out

Harold April 23, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Well, I’m back from vacation, ready to fight the good fight. But first, a little TV. Hey, what’s this?

The West Wing is doing an episode on the media ownership fight last fall! Now I may have to watch the damned thing.

Stay tuned . . .

Sausage Factory: a partial index to date

John March 11, 2004 February 24, 2013General, My Thoughts Exactly, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Here’s a nearly complete list of Harold Feld’s “Tales of the Sausage Factory” articles here on Wetmachine. Real Soon Now I’m going to get organized and use the blog software to keep track of this stuff so I don’t have to manualy copy and paste to generate lists like this. . .

On the Nader copyright case

Justin/Janet part 2

Justin/Janet part 1

The ICANN Train Wreck

Unlicensed Spectrum Access

Why Disney/Comcast Merger Sucks Rocks

On RFID

CBS Caves Again for Bush

Yet more on Fileswapping

Fileswapping — whither to in ’04

ABA article:“More than a Toaster with Pictures”

On making the Wall Street Journal’s Shit List

Golden Globes, Former Presidents, Media Ownership”

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Indecent bandwagon rolls on

Harold March 9, 2004 February 24, 2013General, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Well the House and Senate have been busy little, ahem, beavers on the indecency front. The surprise is the provisions on media ownership. Will they survive a House vote over the opposition of the Republican leadership? Will Bush veto indecency regulation to save his buddies in big media? Stay tuned to Survivor: Washington.