MB Civic

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http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/10/23/1425236

Parts of the testimony from the hearing provided by Democracy Now. Here’s Michael Kopps:

We’re right back at square one, and it’s all up for grabs again. And if we’re going to have a better result this time around, doing something positive for media democracy, it’s going to be because of more citizen action and more input from folks like you. So, this time we need to make it an open public process, instead of hiding in our office in Washington like the majority did in 2003. This time, let all the commissioners come to New York City — I wish they were all here tonight — and let all the commissioners get out across America and find out what’s happening in the real world, beyond that Beltway that they bemoan so much but seem to love staying behind so much.

…And Juan Gonzales:

The last report the Department of Commerce did tracking media ownership was in 2000. It stopped doing the reports. And at that time, it found that 3.8% of all full-power broadcast stations in the country were owned by people of color. Now, when an independent nonprofit group does the job that the federal government should be doing, we find that the actual ownership by minorities has decreased since 2000. So, while the minority population of the country is increasing, the minority ownership of radio and television is decreasing.

If the Dems get any kind of control there needs to be pressure to reform everything .. put back the Fairness Doctrine that made it law to have 50/50 representation of liberal vs. conservative views in the media (Reagan got rid of that), rewrite the Telecommunication Act that loosened ownership rules (Clinton gave us that) … and make it easier to vote – all election days (Primaries, off year elections) should be national holidays (do some phone banking on election day and count the times people say they can’t vote because they can’t take off work) – get rid of all the little beareaucratic impediments that were created by god knows who (the CEO of Exxon?!) – no more waiting in line for hours, no more voter purges, no more police harassment, no more intimidating “mysterious” flyers in minority neighborhoods with false voting information and veiled threats. Got Democracy?
-MAB

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