rallying cry – Wetmachine

The Fairness Doctrine Vote Proves Conservative Noise Machine Still Strong As Ox But Twice As Dumb.

Harold March 3, 2009 March 3, 2009How Democracy Works, Or Doesn't, Tales of the Sausage Factory

Conservatives take joy where they can these days, so no surprise they are busy patting themselves on the back for attaching to the DC Voting Rights Bill an amendment to prevent the FCC from reviving the “Fairness Doctrine.” It makes an interesting case study on a number of levels. First, how does the conservative echo chamber still manage to get a Democratic Senate to vote for an item pushed by conservative talk radio 87-11? Were the situation reversed, and liberal Senators wanted to attach some piece of useless legislation promoted by Air America, such as a ban on banging your head against the wall until you fall unconscious, conservatives would take joy in crushing it just to show the bleeding heart Liberal wussies who rules the roost.

Of course, some of it may be the piece of legislative jujitsu pulled off by Senator Durbin, which modified the amendment to reenforce the overall regulatory power of the FCC to promote diversity. All in all, this makes an excellent case study on how Rush and his crew are leading the GOP back to glory while the Ds stay focused on being effective.

Details below . . .

Whiny Techies or Dishonest Salesmen?

Harold September 10, 2007 September 10, 2007Series of Tubes, Tales of the Sausage Factory

I cannot help but add a coda onto my latest article. Steven Pearlstein, econ columnist for the Washington Post, has written this piece on the recent complaints wrt to Comcast. To quote Mr. Pearlstein:

The latest rallying cry is “network neutrality.” This campaign started out with the legitimate goal of making sure that consumers could continue to access whichever services or content they want, rather than having to take those offered by the cable and phone company duopolists. But lately the campaign seems to have morphed into a broader demand that all consumers should be able to pay the same monthly fee for using the Internet, no matter how much bandwidth they use or how much their movie downloads and video chats are slowing service to everyone else in the neighborhood.

Perhaps this is the kind of economic illiteracy we should expect from people who get their information from “The Daily Show” and the Daily Kos. But isn’t it time for the rest of us to move on and acknowledge that the days of the online free lunch are over?

As you may imagine from my recent post, my complaint is not with charging more for more bandwidth, but for dishonestly promising me an “always on all you can eat” connection, then cutting me off when I use it all the time for all I can eat. I sent Mr. Pearlstein the following reply, reproduced below….

Death of a Citizen Journalist

Harold November 2, 2006 February 24, 2013Tales of the Sausage Factory

This article in the Houston Chronicle discusses the death of Indymedia reporter Brad Will. You can find the official statement from Indymedia NY here.
The Chronicle article also gives a good summary of the Indy media movement and what draws people to it. Some reflections on the differences between “indy media,” “citizen journalism,” “mainstream media” and what it means to be a citizen and a journalist below.

UPDATE 11/6 — There is a Petition drive to the U.S. Ambassador to Mexico demanding that the United States request that the Mexican Government investigate the killing of Brad Will and give this incident the same wight and concern as the killing of an American journalist working for a mainstream media outlet. You can read the letter and sign here.

Hallmark Channel to Show Documentary on Low Power FM

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

I’m posting an announcement for a documentary about low power FM (LPFM). As regular readers probably know, I represent United Church of Christ, which made the documentary, at the FCC on LPFM issues.

LPFM: The People’s Choice“ to air on the Hallmark Channel on Sunday, January 8th at 7 am EST and 7 am PST.

There’s a new sound on the air and it’s emanating from a source deep in the hearts and minds of Americans across the country. ”LPFM: The People’s Choice“ chronicles the extraordinary story of a low power, low cost radio service that withstood the rigors of Capitol Hill and special interest attacks. Today, LPFM is sending out a loud and clear signal — Freedom of Speech has a new ally, and it’s LPFM. ”LPFM: The People’s Choice” is more than a documentary- it is a rallying cry to build community around locally owned media. The film chronicles how low power FM radio is bringing diverse people closer together and giving new life to disadvantaged communities, new strength to neighborhoods and new voices in the marketplace of ideas. This program is not a debate about the merits of LPFM vs. the radio industry. Rather, it is meant to educate the audience about the possibilities for finding a new voice with LPFM. The film was produced by the Office of Commmunication of the United Church of Christ. For more information, please visit us at www.ucc.org/ocinc, or call 202-263-2576.

Tales of the Sausage Factory: Some Indecent Collateral Damage?

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

UPDATE: A somewhat clearer explanation of Ms. Lo’s commentary and what happened is now available from Time Magazine online here. As a result, I’ve modified my comments a bit.

Radio Commentator Sandra Tsing Lo got fired from her public radio spot for using a swear word in a pre-recorded piece that went unedited onto the air. You can hear her commentary on her experience and suddenly finding herself in solidarity whith Howard Stern here. My commentary below.