Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Rep. Maxine Waters [D-CA]: 'You scare the hell out of me'...
Reuters ^

Posted on 05/09/2003 5:01:59 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55

Murdoch defends DirecTV deal at U.S. House hearing Thu May 8, 2003 02:52 PM ET By Peter Kaplan WASHINGTON, May 8 (Reuters) - News Corp. Ltd. Chairman Rupert Murdoch on Thursday parried criticism from Democratic lawmakers of his company's bid to buy U.S. satellite provider DirecTV and basked in praise from Republicans enamored with his conservative cable news channel.

Murdoch dismissed suggestions by some Democrats and consumer advocates that News Corp. NCP.AX NWS.N could use its vast array of TV programming as a weapon against DirecTV's satellite and cable competitors.

"Neither News Corp. nor DirecTV has any incentive to engage in anti-competitive behavior," the Australian-born Murdoch told the House Judiciary Committee.

The media conglomerate announced last month that it is planning to buy a controlling stake in DirecTV's parent company, Hughes Electronics Corp. GMH.N , for $6.6 billion in stock and cash from automaker General Motors Corp. GM.N

For News Corp., DirecTV and its 11.3 million subscribers would provide a big U.S. platform to distribute the news and sports channels it owns, and complement its extensive satellite operations in Europe and Asia.

But the deal must get approval from the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department's antitrust division. Some consumer groups have raised questions about how it would affect competition.

At Thursday's hearing, Murdoch renewed past promises that News Corp. would make key programming like sports and local broadcast stations available to competitors like EchoStar Communications Corp. DISH.O or cable companies at a reasonable cost.

SPARRING OVER POLITICS

Rep. Rick Boucher, a Virginia Democrat, asked Murdoch to promise that News Corp. would abide by the promise even if the FCC drops the open access rules that it imposes on cable operators.

Boucher also asked for a pledge that News Corp. would not charge competitors for the rights to carry the signals of the hundreds of local over-the-air broadcast stations that it owns around the United States.

But Murdoch turned down both ideas, saying they would put the company at a disadvantage.

Murdoch argued that it wouldn't make sense for News Corp. to withhold programming from DirecTV rivals because that would be too damaging to News Corp.'s core business.

Satellite rival EchoStar edged out Murdoch in 2001 when it reached a $30 billion deal with Hughes. But regulators scuttled the deal a year later, citing concerns that the merger would harm competition.

Some other Democrats expressed fears that the deal would accelerate consolidation of the U.S. media and cut back the diversity of news outlets.

A few of the Democrats complained about the conservative tone of News Corp.'s Fox News Channel, the No. 1 cable news network, and accused it of being a "cheerleader" for the Bush administration.

"Maybe we should make a lot more noise than we're making," California Democrat Maxine Waters told Murdoch. "You scare the hell out of me."

Murdoch countered that Fox News featured liberal as well as conservative commentators. He said Fox had succeeded in the market by differentiating itself from other cable news shows.

Most of the Republicans on the committee agreed with Murdoch, and they had little but praise for him, his cable news program and the DirecTV deal.

"If my wife doesn't get a good dose of Fox News every morning, she gets pretty grumpy," said Judiciary committee chairman James Sensenbrenner, a Republican from Wisconsin.


TOPICS: Activism/Chapters; Business/Economy; Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Front Page News; Government; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: Washington
KEYWORDS: foxnews; maxine; murdoch; rickboucher
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

1 posted on 05/09/2003 5:01:59 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Rupert will always hold a special place in my heart.
Anybody who scares the hell out of Maxine Waters will always hold a special place in my heart.
2 posted on 05/09/2003 5:03:17 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (Boycott Smuckers Jelly ! ! ! ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
If Maxine wants to check out something truly frightening, she should look in the mirror.
3 posted on 05/09/2003 5:04:32 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
"You scare the hell out of me." and "Maxine Waters"

Need I?



What was that about the flag we planted on Mars?
4 posted on 05/09/2003 5:04:34 PM PDT by bannie (Carrying the burdon of being a poor speller--mixed with the curse of verbosity)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
You scare the hell out of me, Maxine!
5 posted on 05/09/2003 5:06:21 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch (Freedom is not Free - Support the Troops!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
CNN, ABC and the NY Slimes scare the hell out of me Waters. Welcome to the feeling. Just offering some "fair and balanced" here.

Prairie
6 posted on 05/09/2003 5:08:24 PM PDT by prairiebreeze ("Never have so many been so wrong about so many things"---Sec. Defense Donald Rumsfeld)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bannie
I believe that was her sister Sheia Jackson Lee. Same amount of smarts.
7 posted on 05/09/2003 5:08:48 PM PDT by noutopia
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Democrat Maxine Waters told Murdoch. "You scare the hell out of me."

Right back atcha, Maxine, baby!

As if she hasn't made a few run up a tree like frightened squirrels.

8 posted on 05/09/2003 5:09:20 PM PDT by woofer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Maxine Waters should be scared by Fox News.
9 posted on 05/09/2003 5:09:33 PM PDT by The Hon. Galahad Threepwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
If Fred Sanford had had Maxine around, he would have let Aunt Esther alone.
10 posted on 05/09/2003 5:11:49 PM PDT by Paul Atreides
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Anybody who scares the hell out of Maxine Waters will always hold a special place in my heart.

...
BUMP
11 posted on 05/09/2003 5:12:10 PM PDT by TLBSHOW (the gift is to see the truth)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55

12 posted on 05/09/2003 5:13:00 PM PDT by Grim
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Paul Atreides
Oh Oh I love that show!

"Ester if you face was made out of some dough, we could make a whole batch of ugly cookies."
13 posted on 05/09/2003 5:14:17 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (Boycott Smuckers Jelly ! ! ! ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55

Which is the bigger pile of manure?

14 posted on 05/09/2003 5:15:09 PM PDT by Free ThinkerNY (((Marxism is the religion of fools)))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
and then she says...

"Watch it sucker"
15 posted on 05/09/2003 5:15:11 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (Boycott Smuckers Jelly ! ! ! ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: Free ThinkerNY
Headline should read...

"Maxine Waters supports cloning so much she decided to have herself cloned!"
16 posted on 05/09/2003 5:16:10 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55 (Boycott Smuckers Jelly ! ! ! ! !)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Exactly what species is Mad Maxine, anyway?
17 posted on 05/09/2003 5:19:13 PM PDT by clintonh8r (You can have no better friend and no worse enemy than a U.S. Marine.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: ConservativeMan55
Maxine espouses some truly wierd ideas and beliefs that are incomprehensible to us and even most dems. So does Shiela Jackson Lee and many other black lawmakers.

IMHO they reflect their electorate. That is truly scary.

18 posted on 05/09/2003 5:20:11 PM PDT by umgud
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: umgud
You got that right partner!
19 posted on 05/09/2003 5:26:56 PM PDT by DD938 (Bring an old sailor home for Sunday dinner.......maybe meet your sister)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 18 | View Replies]

To: Mr. Mojo
"If Maxine wants to check out something truly frightening, she should look in the mirror."

My thought, too, until I realized that all the mirrors in her house no doubt cracked long ago.
20 posted on 05/09/2003 5:35:23 PM PDT by Let's Roll (And those that cried Appease! Appease! are hanged by those they tried to please!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-51 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson