Dear friends across the US,
The government is about to change the rules to allow Fox News to expand its empire! The plan could be approved at any moment, so we need to act now to stop it.
The owner of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, is gearing up to buy the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times to corrupt our democracy with more of his right-wing propaganda. Until now, federal law didn’t allow someone who owns a television station to also buy a newspaper in the same market. Unbelievably, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is thinking of creating an exception to the rule that would let Murdoch sneak through.
The FCC has tried this twice before, only to be stopped by public backlash. Let’s stop them again. Send a message to the FCC right now before they vote to give Murdoch more power:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?binitdb&v=20651
The current FCC rules prevent any company from owning a major daily newspaper and a television station in the same market. This is an old and sensible rule designed to prevent any one person or company from controlling too many of our information sources, and thereby undermining healthy democratic debate. But the FCC is considering a "waiver" to that rule that would allow a baron like Murdoch -- who already controls enough media to dominate American public opinion -- to expand his empire in the country's second and third largest cities.
The FCC Chair claims he needs to make these changes to comply with the FCC's Congressional mandate and that it won't actually help Murdoch, but that's wrong. Although companies that already own one of the top 4 TV stations in a given market won't be allowed to take advantage of the new waiver, and FOX is in the top 4 in many markets, it's the number 5 channel in LA and Chicago -- so the rule is almost perfectly designed to give Murdoch a pass in the two places where it's been reported that he wants to buy major papers.
We take pride in America’s diversity, yet 6 giant corporations control more than half of what we watch and read every day -- down from 50 companies three decades ago. The perils of media consolidation are already on clear display. Local newsrooms are closing, investigative journalism is collapsing and diverse viewpoints are shrinking from our airwaves.
The FCC was created to protect our free media, not drown it. Let’s shower them with a wave of public comments to abandon the waiver proposal, and bring the people power needed to kill this poison on our media diversity:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?binitdb&v=20651
Any thriving democracy gives its citizens the fundamental right to choose between truly diverse sources of media. Last year, Avaazers in the UK helped stop Murdoch's power grab through a huge public outcry. Let’s unite now to protect US democracy from Murdoch and other media barons once and for all.
With hope and determination,
Mia, Allison, Ian, Emily, Ricken, Pedro and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION
An FCC Christmas gift for Rupert Murdoch? (Salon)
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/an_fcc_christmas_gift_for_rupert_murdoch/
Why Is the Obama FCC Plotting a Massive Giveaway to Rupert Murdoch? (Free Press)
http://www.freepress.net/blog/2012/11/19/why-obama-fcc-plotting-massive-giveaway-rupert-murdoch
Opponents decry FCC plans on media ownership (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/11/28/fcc-considers-media-ownership/1732609/
These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America (Business Insider)
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6
The government is about to change the rules so that Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch can monopolize media markets all across the country! But they’re required by law to review our comments, and if we inundate them with thousands of messages of opposition now, we can stop this attack on our free media:  |
The owner of Fox News, Rupert Murdoch, is gearing up to buy the Chicago Tribune and the L.A. Times to corrupt our democracy with more of his right-wing propaganda. Until now, federal law didn’t allow someone who owns a television station to also buy a newspaper in the same market. Unbelievably, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is thinking of creating an exception to the rule that would let Murdoch sneak through.
The FCC has tried this twice before, only to be stopped by public backlash. Let’s stop them again. Send a message to the FCC right now before they vote to give Murdoch more power:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?binitdb&v=20651
The current FCC rules prevent any company from owning a major daily newspaper and a television station in the same market. This is an old and sensible rule designed to prevent any one person or company from controlling too many of our information sources, and thereby undermining healthy democratic debate. But the FCC is considering a "waiver" to that rule that would allow a baron like Murdoch -- who already controls enough media to dominate American public opinion -- to expand his empire in the country's second and third largest cities.
The FCC Chair claims he needs to make these changes to comply with the FCC's Congressional mandate and that it won't actually help Murdoch, but that's wrong. Although companies that already own one of the top 4 TV stations in a given market won't be allowed to take advantage of the new waiver, and FOX is in the top 4 in many markets, it's the number 5 channel in LA and Chicago -- so the rule is almost perfectly designed to give Murdoch a pass in the two places where it's been reported that he wants to buy major papers.
We take pride in America’s diversity, yet 6 giant corporations control more than half of what we watch and read every day -- down from 50 companies three decades ago. The perils of media consolidation are already on clear display. Local newsrooms are closing, investigative journalism is collapsing and diverse viewpoints are shrinking from our airwaves.
The FCC was created to protect our free media, not drown it. Let’s shower them with a wave of public comments to abandon the waiver proposal, and bring the people power needed to kill this poison on our media diversity:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch_us_b/?binitdb&v=20651
Any thriving democracy gives its citizens the fundamental right to choose between truly diverse sources of media. Last year, Avaazers in the UK helped stop Murdoch's power grab through a huge public outcry. Let’s unite now to protect US democracy from Murdoch and other media barons once and for all.
With hope and determination,
Mia, Allison, Ian, Emily, Ricken, Pedro and the rest of the Avaaz team
MORE INFORMATION
An FCC Christmas gift for Rupert Murdoch? (Salon)
http://www.salon.com/2012/12/05/an_fcc_christmas_gift_for_rupert_murdoch/
Why Is the Obama FCC Plotting a Massive Giveaway to Rupert Murdoch? (Free Press)
http://www.freepress.net/blog/2012/11/19/why-obama-fcc-plotting-massive-giveaway-rupert-murdoch
Opponents decry FCC plans on media ownership (USA Today)
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2012/11/28/fcc-considers-media-ownership/1732609/
These 6 Corporations Control 90% Of The Media In America (Business Insider)
http://www.businessinsider.com/these-6-corporations-control-90-of-the-media-in-america-2012-6
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