ear friends across the US,
Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch is about to get a belated Christmas gift -- from none other than the Obama Administration. This blow to our democracy could come at any moment, unless we act now to stop it.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to loosen decades-old media ownership limits that could allow Murdoch to buy the LA Times and Chicago Herald Tribune -- giving him millions more readers for Fox's misleading propaganda.
Originally there was little opposition to the move, but now anger is building and the FCC is scrambling to defend itself. If we pile on with our objections, we can force them to rethink this unjustified giveaway. Click below to send a comment to the FCC:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch/?bNxfadb&v=20615
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 -- Obama's appointee and close friend -- 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 often 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 word is 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 shine the people power needed to kill this poison on our media diversity:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch/?bNxfadb&v=20615
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 consolidation 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 Federal Communication Commission is about to change the rules so that Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch could 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 them now, we can stop this attack on our free media:  |
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is preparing to loosen decades-old media ownership limits that could allow Murdoch to buy the LA Times and Chicago Herald Tribune -- giving him millions more readers for Fox's misleading propaganda.
Originally there was little opposition to the move, but now anger is building and the FCC is scrambling to defend itself. If we pile on with our objections, we can force them to rethink this unjustified giveaway. Click below to send a comment to the FCC:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch/?bNxfadb&v=20615
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 -- Obama's appointee and close friend -- 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 often 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 word is 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 shine the people power needed to kill this poison on our media diversity:
http://www.avaaz.org/en/stop_murdoch/?bNxfadb&v=20615
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 consolidation 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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