McCain May Team With Feingold To Limit Radio Station Ownership Consolidation

Drudge Report ^ | January 8, 2003 | Matt Drudge

[TBP]

McCain May Team With Feingold To Limit Radio Station Ownership Consolidation Wed Jan 08 2002 09:51:31 ET

Sen. Russell D. Feingold said Tuesday he plans to reintroduce legislation that would limit the consolidation of radio station ownership and to punish radio conglomerates that stifle competition.

The bill died last year, but in the 108th Congress Feingold may have a powerful, if familiar, partner -- John McCain, R-Ariz, who has again become chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.

McCain spokeswoman Pia Pialorsi said McCain 'is interested in the topic and has talked to Feingold about it. He's definitely looking at' backing Feingold's legislation, which could be introduced in the coming weeks, CONGRESSIONAL QUARTERLY reported on Wednesday.

[TBP]

What do you think of this? Would this be good for the industry? Would this be good for the country?

[mhking]

Provided they break-up Clear Channel (who's singlehandedly destroyed the radio industry in America), I'm all for it.

[Teacher317]

This is getting to be an annoyingly common theme...

McCain May Team With _______ (insert name of liberal Democrat) To Limit _________ (insert some action that free people and businesses engage in)

[Commander8]

Antitrust on the air? I don't care much for monopolies but I'm not a big fan of competition at gunpoint either. Let the market run it's course. The conglomerates will break up on their own.

[Fiddlstix]

Will somebody please tell McCommie to put a sock in it
(RINO Jerk)

[Commander8]

Clear Channel sucks Donkey.

[widowithfoursons]

This is just a backdoor way to legislate the "Fairness Act" (i.e. equal time for dissenting opinion - meaning 3 hours of Rush equals 3 hours of Daschle).

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

The Manchurian Canidate rears his ugly bald again.How about you pass the time with a game of solitare?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

A long time ago, radio and television stations had to operate in the public interest and demonstrate these efforts in their "public file" or risk loss of their FCC license. In 70 or 80 years, I don't think more than one or two licenses were ever lifted. But stations did do more in their respective markets to identify community issues and get them discussed than is now the case.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

I interned with ClearChannel. It wasn't that bad.

[KC_Conspirator]

I don't know how I feel about this. OOH and, I like the market to decide what gets on. OTOH, one conglomerate ruined one of the best radio stations in the nation here and another conglomerate (Disney) took off Imus and has stoopid programming on.

[varina davis]

I'm no McCain fan, but he is right on this one. Before long, the proliferation of Media "umbrellas" will ensure that nothing is broadcast but state propaganda. All of the media mergers represent a very real danger to the 1st Amendment.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

The Manchurian Canidate rears his ugly bald head again.How about you pass the time with a game of solitare?

[Keith in Iowa]

Provided they break-up Clear Channel (who's singlehandedly destroyed the radio industry in America), I'm all for it.

Amen. In my area, all of the commercial stations are now in the hands of two owners, one being Clear Channel - while owneership of many stations can have programming advantages, I miss the days when there was more competition - there was more & better news programming - the concentration of ownership has created less diversity - and everything is so "programmed" - I'd call Clear Channel the McDonalds of radio.

[NC Conservative]

Is Mclame plugging Feingold or something?

[isthisnickcool]

Clear Channel sucks Donkey.

Clear Channel has a division that handles theatrical productions. Part of that involves various Disney hows. Last year, after I had a chat with one of the people at Clear Channel they arranged for a young girl named Abi Roland to attend the Beauty and the Beast stage show at Jones Hall here in Houston. Abi had NeuroBlastoma and attended school with my child.

To make a long story short because of the people at Clear Channel when Abi hit the door at Jones Hall every employee there was waiting for her. She had the best seats in the house and loved the show. After the show the characters stayed in costume and Abi was able to go on stage with them and the cast and crew gave her many gifts. And took time with her. It was one of Abi's best days.

Abi died on Tuesday, August 13th, 2002 at 12:40 AM. She was one of the bravest and toughest people I have ever known. And as as far as I'm concerned, on one day in June in the year 2002 the Clear Channel company was one of the best companies in America.

Abi and her dog Elmo.

[Big Guy and Rusty 99]

I listen to Internet radio because when I go to bed (late at night) the only thing on regular radio are Art Bell and other syndicated shows. I listen to ACB Treasurebox, "they play all old-time radio" from the 30's, 40's, and 50's. I miss WBZ where you had live call in programs all through the night. I wish Orlando had something like that. Of course, we have much better weather.

[Gunslingr3]

I'm no McCain fan, but he is right on this one. Before long, the proliferation of Media "umbrellas" will ensure that nothing is broadcast but state propaganda. All of the media mergers represent a very real danger to the 1st Amendment.

This act is simply pushing radio more under govt. control. Newspaper or radio consolidation doesn't threaten the 1st Amendment, what threatens the 1st Amendment is John McCain and his cronies passing laws preventing you from speaking about public officials 60 days prior to an election.

[aimhigh]

Newspaper or radio consolidation doesn't threaten the 1st Amendment,

It does threaten America. Our local newspaper is controled by Gannett, which keeps sending us East Coast liberals to run the paper. This paper is so extremely leftist, they use newspaper articles to promote anti-war demonstrations, etc. Even liberals in the area think the paper is trash.