DEAN VOWS TO 'BREAK UP GIANT MEDIA ENTERPRISES'

DRUDGE REPORT ^ | TUE DEC 02, 2003 10:01:24 ET | Filed By Matt Drudge

[.cnI redruM]

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX TUE DEC 02, 2003 10:01:24 ET XXXXX

DEAN VOWS TO 'BREAK UP GIANT MEDIA ENTERPRISES'

If elected president, Howard Dean vows to "break up giant media enterprises" out of a concern "how deeply media companies can penetrate every single community" in America.

The Dem hopeful made the comments on GENERAL ELECTRIC-owned MSNBC during HARDBALL WITH CHRIS MATTHEWS.

"The essence of capitalism, which the right-wing never understands -- it always baffles me -- is, you got to have some rules," Dean explained to Matthews and students at Harvard.

MATTHEWS: Well, would you break up GE?

(APPLAUSE)

DEAN: I can`t -- you...

MATTHEWS: GE just buys Universal. Would you do something there about that? Would you stop that from happening?

DEAN: You can`t say -- you can`t ask me right now and get an answer, would I break up X corp...

MATTHEWS: We`ve got to do it now, because now is the only chance we can ask you, because, once you are in, we have got to live with you.

(LAUGHTER)

DEAN: No.

MATTHEWS: So, if you are going to do it, you have got to tell us now.

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Are you going to break up the giant media enterprises in this country?

DEAN: Yes, we`re going to break up giant media enterprises. That doesn`t mean we`re going to break up all of GE.

What we`re going to do is say that media enterprises can`t be as big as they are today. I don`t think we actually have to break them up, which Teddy Roosevelt had to do with the leftovers from the McKinley administration.

Dean explained how "11 companies in this country control 90 percent of what ordinary people are able to read and watch on their television. That`s wrong. We need to have a wide variety of opinions in every community. We don`t have that because of Michael Powell and what George Bush has tried to do to the FCC."

Matthews continued:

"Would you break up Fox?"

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: I`m serious.

DEAN: I`m keeping a...

MATTHEWS: Would you break it up? Rupert Murdoch has "The Weekly Standard." It has got a lot of other interests. It has got "The New York Post." Would you break it up?

DEAN: On ideological grounds, absolutely yes, but...

(LAUGHTER)

MATTHEWS: No, seriously. As a public policy, would you bring industrial policy to bear and break up these conglomerations of power?

DEAN: I don`t want to answer whether I would break up Fox or not, because, obviously

(CROSSTALK)

MATTHEWS: Well, how about large media enterprises?

DEAN: Let me -- yes, let me get...

(LAUGHTER)

DEAN: The answer to that is yes.

I would say that there is too much penetration by single corporations in media markets all over this country. We need locally-owned radio stations. There are only two or three radio stations left in the state of Vermont where you can get local news anymore. The rest of it is read and ripped from the AP.

MATTHEWS: So what are you going to do about it? You`re going to be president of the United States, what are you going to do?

DEAN: What I`m going to do is appoint people to the FCC that believe democracy depends on getting information from all portions of the political spectrum, not just one.

Developing...

----------------------------------------------------------- Filed By Matt Drudge Reports are moved when circumstances warrant http://www.drudgereport.com for updates (c)DRUDGE REPORT 2003 Not for reproduction without permission of the author

[.cnI redruM]

1) I was pleasantly surprised that Matthews nailed him on this. I almost hate saying it. "Nice work, Mr. Matthews."

2) THe more I hear about this man, the less extreme I feel in calling him a fascist in 'progressive' clothing. Dean's proposal is all about government information control. It's a blatant assault against freedom of speech and the first amendment.

[Erik Latranyi]

How about asking Gov Dean the following:

Do you think the gov't can do a better job of deciding what is popular on TV and radio than the marketplace?

[EdReform]

Bump

[steveegg]

I won't say "Nice work, Mr. Matthews", because he only pushed for the breakup of Fox, and not ABCDisneyESPN, CBSShowtimeViacom, NBCBravoMicroshaft, CNNTimeAOL, WashPostNewsweak, or LASlimesChiTribetal.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

... "11 companies in this country control 90 percent of what ordinary people are able to read and watch on their television. That`s wrong....

I hope his head doesn't explode just yet. This is funny.
If he broke up that monolic media the left would dissapear in months. That mega media giant is all that keeps the leftist droolers and statist psychos in power.

[smith288]

Deans fascist colors shining through...

[Mr. Buzzcut]

Wow. Here's an issue on the mind of every voter.

[prairiebreeze]

A more accurate headline would be:

"Dean Vows To Break Up America".

Simply strategy, really.

Prairie

[Guillermo]

The Democrats loved it when the *ONLY* sources for news were Walter Cronkite and the NY Times. The few other media orgs (ABC, NBC and the papers) got all of their info from them.

[Darksheare]

That, and: If he does attempt to do this, anyone that has an opposing viewpoint is first.
I.e. us, Rush, Drudge, Hannity and Colmes..
*snort*
One reason Dean shouldn't be elected, out of the already thousands of reasons why he doesn't deserve it.

[.cnI redruM]

Yeah, but in asking about Fox News in particular, he put Dean on the spot. The unstated question that Matthews put in Hatred-Powered Howard's face was "Mr. Dean are you proposing to utilize The Sherman Antitrust Act to silence all major media outlets that disagree with your message and/or agenda?"

[hilaryrhymeswithrich]

When I first saw this picture of the weekend I was truly shocked. He is a really scary little man.

[.cnI redruM]

SIEG HOWARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Grampa Dave]

You nailed the grim reality of the media and their incestuous relationship with the Rats.

If he broke up that monolic media the left would dissapear in months. That mega media giant is all that keeps the leftist droolers and statist psychos in power.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

Dean is demented.

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

Katie Couric and Matt Liar are front line troops in the war on America.

[Peach]

Bump to your #2. We DO NOT want the government deciding what we can watch and read.

[steveegg]

Yeah, but in asking about Fox News in particular, he put Dean on the spot. The unstated question that Matthews put in Hatred-Powered Howard's face was "Mr. Dean are you proposing to utilize The Sherman Antitrust Act to silence all major media outlets that disagree with your message and/or agenda?"

From Drudge's description, it sounds like there was some body language going on. Since I'm not one of the 3 viewers that Chrissy has, I won't guess whether that body language would be the completely-expected, "Yep, and I'll stop at News Corp and maybe Dow Jones and Co"

[.cnI redruM]

Subinfeudate America would be more accurate. Breaking up America would destroy his tax base.

[Bubba_Leroy]

MATTHEWS: Would you break it up? Rupert Murdoch has "The Weekly Standard." It has got a lot of other interests. It has got "The New York Post." Would you break it up?

DEAN: On ideological grounds, absolutely yes, but...

He wasn't kidding either. Freedom of speech and freedom of the press are only intended for people who agree with the democRATs.