Dean: I'd 'Break Up' Fox News

NewsMax.com ^ | 12/02/03 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Democratic presidential front-runner Howard Dean pledged Monday night to "break up" the Fox News Channel along with other conservative news outlets owned by media baron Rupert Murdoch.

"Eleven companies in this country control 90 percent of what ordinary people are able to read and watch on their television," the ex-Vermont governor complained to MSNBC's Chris Matthews, who then asked the candidate point-blank:

"Would you break up Fox? ... 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 shot back, "On ideological grounds, absolutely yes."

A moment later the "Hardball" host pressed: "Seriously. As a public policy, would you bring industrial policy to bear and break up these conglomerations of power?"

At that point Dean seemed to sense that he had gone too far and began to equivocate, saying, "I don't want to answer whether I would break up Fox or not."

The leading Democrat then explained, "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."

[austingirl]

Censorship and fascism.

[erikm88]

Hallelujah, ---- ----!!!

Where's the Tylenol?!

--erik

[petercooper]

good luck, deanjerk

[cynicom]

Dean would adopt Colmes and hang Hannity, that would be his first priority.

[gitmo]

Apparently these are OK: ABC,CBS,NBC,PBS,MSNBC,CNN,CNN Headline News,CSpan.

But Fox is one too many.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Additional HERR HOWARD DEAN Freedom of Speech Bump!!!!

[woofer2425]

Mr. Dean....How about NPR???...Huh...More than one station there. Are you going to break up NPR???? Mister Dean

[Alberta's Child]

The fact that he singled out FOX News (as opposed to companies like Viacom, Time-Warner, ClearChannel, etc.) shows just what his agenda really is.

On the other hand, he raises a very interesting point about the application of antitrust law to media conglomerates. I have a hard time accepting the notion of multiple-media ownership in a nation where some industries are prohibited by law from doing the exact same thing.

[erikm88]

Welcome to FR

--erik

[Steve_Seattle]

Can you imagine the media firestorm if Bush ever suggested - even jokingly - that he was going to try to break up news organizations hostile to his administration? But here we have the Democratic front-runner openly musing about breaking up Fox - and admitting that he fantasizes about suppressing Fox because of its ideology - and it will barely create a ripple in the national media.

[Brian Mosely]

That second picture, the one of Dean looking at the camera, has been bugging the hell out of me...he looks almost like a comic book super villian or something...nearly like some of the artwork of Alex Ross...

[ItsOurTimeNow]

Doesn't Murdoch only own around 8% of the market share?

[Frank_Discussion]

heh.

[headsonpikes]

Smash the FCC!

There's a slogan to run with.

[Scenic Sounds]

Yeah, I saw that, too. ;-)

Actually, though, I favor as diverse a media as possible. I don't trust any one of them.

[AmishDude]

Dean does want to break all media conglomerates

Don't you believe it. Once he "breaks up" Newscorp (or at least the US broadcast holdings), he'll stop.

I'd love to know how Newscorp compares to, say, Viacom or Disney or Time-Warner. My guess is that the others own much more US property, much more broadcast property and, in general, provide more of a monopoly than the others.

And Clear Channel is small potatoes in comparison.

[AmericanInTokyo]

Time to PACK the US Supreme Court, if just such opportunities open up in Bush's second term.

'Gotta martinize the whole place for at least 50 years more of security and basic freedoms. There is no telling what these fascist goons like Hitlery or Dean would do in office in 2008, let alone 2004 by some quirk.

[Frank_Discussion]

Wow, that's quite a nice feat of yoga, too, getting both legs and your neck up up one's a$$...

[GalaxieFiveHundred]

Heck, why stop with FOX News?

</sarcasm alert>