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Bill Moyers on media consolidation

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Courtesy of RawStory, and of course, PBS.

Comments

  1. 1

    Goldy I didn’t find your name nor Bill Moyers as one of the most influential talk radio host, what’s the scoop. Those dame conservatives seem to run the air waves need goverment intervention to save talk radio. Wow the far left wing nuts are having a cow because they don’t get fair treatment.

    The most influential talk-radio hosts in America, in order of their influence:

    Rush Limbaugh
    Bill O’Reilly
    Don Imus
    Michael Savage
    Sean Hannity
    Laura Ingraham
    Glenn Beck
    Dr. Laura Schlessinger
    Neal Boortz
    Al Franken
    Mike Gallagher
    Mancow
    Howard Stern
    Bill Bennett
    Opie and Anthony
    Ed Schultz
    Michael Medved
    Randi Rhodes
    Jim Bohannon
    G. Gordon Liddy
    Diane Rehm
    Larry Elder
    Michael Reagan
    Tammy Bruce
    Tom Leykis

  2. 2

    @ 1 Moyers isn’t a talk radio host. And neither is Al Franken as of several months ago, which I pointed out when you posted this same outdated, irrelevant list in another comment thread a couple of days ago. Do you ever have anything to bring to the table?

  4. 4

    What nobody seems to talk about is the nascent death of mass media as an important function in society. This seems like an important concept. The public and public opinion has always been meaningless because it has fundamentally been an abstraction. There are and have been many existentialists who have railed against the tyranny of “public opinion”. But even more so we find ourselves in an age where the entire concept of “mass media” is really at odds with reality. I am not sure why all the fears about consolidation. To me the whole media landscape is in its death throes, because we are becoming more fractured and immediately individualized in our consumption of information. And this is a good thing. The era where there was presumed a unified mass demographic is over. I understand the concern for the loss of localism, but it strikes me that these mass media conglomerates are in decline already.

    Kirkegaard once said about the press:

    If we imagine the Press growing weaker and weaker because no events or ideas catch hold of the age, the more easily will the process of leveling become a harmful pleasure. More and more individuals, owing to their bloodless indolence, will aspire to be nothing at all—in order to become the Public: that abstract whole formed in the must ludicrous way, by all participants becoming a third-party (an onlooker)….This gallery is on the look-out for distraction and soon abandons itself to the idea that everything that any one does is done in other to give it (the Public) something to gossip about.

    Here is a good essay on the matter. Kierkegaard on the Internet: Anonymity vrs. Commitment in the Present Age

    At the end of the day I find myself in agreement with someone like Steve Jobs who says:

    Alot of times we think “Why is the television programming so bad? Why are television shows so demeaning, so poor?” The first thought that occurs to you is “Well, there is a conspiracy: the networks are feeding us this slop because its cheap to produce. It’s the networks that are controlling this and they are feeding us this stuff but the truth of the matter, if you study it in any depth, is that networks absolutely want to give people what they want so that will watch the shows. If people wanted something different, they would get it. And the truth of the matter is that the shows that are on television, are on television because that’s what people want. The majority of people in this country want to turn on a television and turn off their brain and that’s what they get. And that’s far more depressing than a conspiracy.

  5. 5

    @1 Klake

    What does that even mean “most influential talk-radio hosts in America”? It is an absurd notion. Any notion of influence is a phantom which feeds into the delusion that there is a something substantial in the notion of a mass public or mass audience. This is and has always been an abstraction. To pretend it is meaningful is to delude one’s self.

    Keep in mind I understand that there are whole economies and metrics built around the notion of a mass market and audience. But these strike me as a farce at best, and have always been dubious to me.

  6. 6

    Kirkegaard, Nietche, and Camus. Ya gotta love ’em!

    Ya Know, Camus is pronounced: Kammoooo!! I thought it was supposed to sound like ‘Came-us’, for the longest time!

  7. 7

    Don’t try to kid me. I know that when klake tried to read ‘The Stranger’ in junior HI, he thought it was kammooo, too.

    I know yer not THAT SMART, klake!!!

  8. 8

    @3 Only in the broadest sense.

    @4 There will come a day – perhaps within a decade – where URLs will be easily available in cars, and therefore the last significant competitive advantage of terrestrial TV and radio signals will be lost. At that point it won’t matter so much how the FCC regulates those signals, because they’ll be indistinguishable for most people from thousands of other choices in a highly fragmented media landscape.

    But we’re not there yet, and because there’s finite and limited band space for transmitting these signals, it still matters who owns them. And it will matter even more in the future which companies (already only a handful) control the cable and broadband connections, and the terms under which they may offer their service. These things matter because conservative ideology does not apply to media; dissemination of information in a democracy is not the same free market principle as selling flower pots. Citizens can’t make informed decisions without good information, and if a handful of large corporations are gatekeeping what we see, read, and hear, it doesn’t matter how many “choices” they offer us.

    The bottom line is the bottom line. Of course commercial TV and radio mostly insult the intelligence because they’re pandering to the lowest common denominator of whichever demographics they want to sell to their advertisers; but we are the only western democracy that trusts solely in the market to provide the media “niche” of the political (and cultural) information citizens need.

    For some reason (hint: follow the money) the U.S. never thought it important or useful to guarantee that voters are able to be aware of the decisions being made in our name; with gutted ownership limits, abolition of the Fairness Doctrine, and other further concessions to free market ideology of the last generation, are we really surprised that most of the programming is dreck, or that self-interested gatekeepers wind up offering us the kind of “balance” reflected in klake’s list @1?

    Yes, the Internets make all kinds of cool information available that we couldn’t get 10-15 years ago. And eventually someone will figure out a way to support primary source reporting on the Net, too. But that could all be rendered irrelevant by something as simple as the loss of net neutrality – something Congress almost passed last year, and the big telecom companies are still pressing for. The rules governing who owns our media, and under what terms, still matter. A lot.

  9. 9

    @7 When klake tried to read “The Stranger” in junior high, Savage Love just confused him (but left him feeling all warm inside).

  10. 10

    The Full Commission Comes to Seattle

    by Geov Parrish

    The “Commission,” in this case, is the Federal Communications Commission, and if this sounds familiar, it’s because it is.

    OH I FORGOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Geov is now the new the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda for the Socialist Democrats Party today just like Paul Joseph Goebbels was in Hitler Germany. His Nazi friends taught him the trade when he protested with them at Evergreen College.

  11. 11

    re 8: Until it’s generally understood by the populace that ‘free market’ means the opposite, you’ll never make any progress.

    And that’s a long, long road.

    Can you imagine even convincing ‘The Piper’ of that simple, basic fact? And he’s even capable of constructing a sentence now and again.

    And he’s smart enough to influence others.

  14. 14

    Talk around the trolls. I just can’t waste any more time responding to them.

    I’m listening, Geov.

  15. 15

    For some reason (hint: follow the money) the U.S. never thought it important or useful to guarantee that voters are able to be aware of the decisions being made in our name;
    Please define who our name is and what the hell the voters have to do with allocating the air waves?
    Geov who really owns the air waves anyway? When the BBC in England ran all the air waves the bandits move off shore and set up shop. Funny how much money they made off that move. How about buying a ship and you and Roger run your own radio or TV station off shore.(with gutted ownership limits,) Who cares about the Fairness Doctrine only a bunch of sore loser support such an idea (abolition of the Fairness Doctrine).
    and other further concessions to free market ideology of the last generation, are we really surprised that most of the programming is dreck, or that self-interested gatekeepers wind up offering us the kind of “balance” reflected in klake’s list @1?

  16. 16

    @15 “Geov who really owns the air waves anyway?”

    We do — the public. Got any more stupid questions?

  17. 17

    Wingnut Bullshit Of The Day, Part 1

    “U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson expects more of the losses in the U.S. mortgage industry that have already damaged the dollar, but predicted a long-term recovery for the battered currency.

    “‘We have very much a strong dollar policy; that’s in our nation’s interests,” he said …. ‘Our economy, like any other, has its ups and downs and its long-term strength will be reflected in our currency markets.'”

    Quoted under fair use; for complete story and/or copyright info see http://www.time.com/time/busin.....29,00.html

    Roger Rabbit Commentary: The falling dollar isn’t a result of the economy’s “ups and downs.” It’s happening because of an intentional devaluation policy designed to mask the real rate of inflation. More specifically, it’s caused by the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates to prop up the stock market when defending the dollar requires raising interest rates. These chickens WILL come home to roost when the stock market and economy crash at the same time. Wait and see.

  18. 18

    Wingnut Bullshit Of The Day, Part 2

    “Air traffic control errors like the one that almost caused two airliners to collide near Chicago this week remain extremely rare and staffing levels are adequate despite controllers’ complaints of fatigue and overwork, a federal aviation official said Friday.”

    Quoted under fair use; for complete story and/or copyright info see http://www.time.com/time/natio.....71,00.html

    Roger Rabbit Comment: The number of near-misses on runways and in the air has soared since Bush became president. This isn’t a random coincidence or an act of nature. The administration’s refusal to provide resources for domestic needs, lousy management, anti-worker labor policies, and overworked controllers have all contributed to a degradation of competence and consistency in the air traffic control system. If you fly, you are far less safe today than you were 7 years ago.

  19. 19

    #8

    Citizens can’t make informed decisions without good information

      
    And for years and years the mainstream media has fallen short in it’s duty to inform the public. They consider themselves the deciders as to what became news. Today, the truth is now available. Imagine Kennedy as president today, he wouldn’t be able to hide his affairs. Imagine rathergate 25 years ago, there would be no way the truth would have ever become public.
      
    Could you imagine if there was no youtube or internet, there would be no public record of the democrats lying about saddam and WMDs.

  20. 20

    #18 Roger Rabbit says:

    The administration’s refusal to provide resources for domestic needs, lousy management, anti-worker labor policies, and overworked controllers…

      
    So all the democrats in positions of power are doing NOTHING just to let the country deteriorate and take shots at bush. Pathetic.
      
    Imagine a country where the democrats do something useful for the country, I can’t.

  21. 21

    #13 headless lucy says:

    re 8: We’ll find ways. And teach our children. All is not lost.

      
    So says the wrasslin’ coach.
      
    A socialist teaching our children, all is lost.

  22. 22

    I would be for the un”fainess doctrine” if it included MSM outlest like CBS,NBC and ABC as well as public schools and universities. You libs get rid of the liberal public school teacher and then we will talk.

  23. 23

    re 19: What are you talking about? The sex education teacher?

    Oh! There is no sex education teacher.

    Do you have any problems with teaching the kids how to brush their teeth? With salt? And gargle with peroxide?

    Bye, Bye , Crest!

  28. 28

    20

    I got a probem with people like you getting paid by taxpayer money to teach them your liberal drivel.. yes. We need all the right wing talk radio we can get with the likes of you in the public schools.

  32. 32

    Hell Rush shouldn’t be taken off the air… he should get government money for what he doing.

  33. 33

    re 25: You need it all. ’cause, “you’re so vain”. I’ll bet you think this gay song is about you.

  36. 36

    It would be nice if libs would only teach kids how to brush their teefs. The kiddies would be far better off. roof roof

  37. 37

    re 29: Rush sure seems to relish those large Cuban cigars. Because he’s a gay, cock-sucking Communist.

  40. 40

    re 29: Why was Rush Limbaugh arrested for trying to bring a suitcase full of rubbers and illegal Viagra into Haiti?

    Think about it. What if Hillary Clinton brings up this FACT sometime in the campaign?

    Whatcha’ gonna do when we come for you?

  41. 41

    The un”fairness doctrine” is a paper tiger. If it is ever passed then I guess we will be listening to back to back to back episodes of the Rush News hour. heheheheehe

    You commies just can’t win can you.

  42. 42

    DOG: Haiti is a center of child prostitution. Just the place for Rush to vacation with a suitcase full of Viagra and rubbers.

    Google it , Dumbo.

    That’s your spokesman.

    Deal with it.

  43. 43

    re 29: Why was Rush Limbaugh arrested for trying to bring a suitcase full of rubbers and illegal Viagra into Haiti?

    Think about it. What if Hillary Clinton brings up this FACT sometime in the campaign?

    I wonder if she will bring up Kathleen Willey and Juanita Brodrick..nah, probably not. I know we will. heehehehhe

  44. 44

    DOG: Haiti is a center of child prostitution. Just the place for Rush to vacation with a suitcase full of Viagra and rubbers.

    Google it , Dumbo.

    That’s your spokesman.

    Wowww. Now go convince his 25 million listeners of that. hehehe

  45. 45

    Dog- there’s a reason teachers tend to be liberal. They care about others. their students, more than chasing the biggest buck available.

  46. 46

    @40 “Kathleen Willey and Juanita Brodrick”

    Two of the biggest liars in the WingNut (TM) Firmament (SM).

    @42 Another reason teachers tend to be liberal is because they’re reality and fact oriented, as opposed to living in a fantasy world.

  47. 47

    I will not comment on anything that has been said on this web site at this time, except I would appreciate you not claiming to be “Jane Balogh’s dog”. My name is Duncan and I am my own canine and can speak for myself. I did not see you on TV, taking the heat, nor paying the fine for my actions. I happen to be more articulate and less mean spirited. Maybe that is why I garnered so much respect from the media. If you have something to say, please use your own name and don’t sully mine. This is the same kind of identity theft I and my companion were trying to expose with the voting registration issue (also drivers licenses). I think we all see, every day, politico’s et al, speaking non-truths, deceptively and out of the other side of their mouth. Enough is enough!

  48. 48

    K says:

    Dog- there’s a reason teachers tend to be liberal. They care about others. their students, more than chasing the biggest buck available.

    Another liberial lie they want the taxpayers to pay them the same amount of money Roger gets for being retired.

  50. 50

    Puddle: We’re all so proud of the way you finally learned to make the ‘™’ mark — you being such a highly paid computer expert and all.

  51. 51

    You are so right , Puddle. Leftists ‘control’ the media.

    What do you think of Ronald Reagan kicking off his Presidential campaign in Philadelphia, Miss.?

    Just a coincidince?

  52. 52

    @42 Another reason teachers tend to be liberal is because they’re reality and fact oriented, as opposed to living in a fantasy world.

    11/17/2007 at 8:41 pm

    You got it half right, they can’t handle the reality and fact orientated market place so they feed off the public dole.

  53. 53

    Roger Rabbit says:

    @40 “Kathleen Willey and Juanita Brodrick”

    Two of the biggest liars in the WingNut ™ Firmament (SM).

    This coming from the people who brought us memos from the 70’s typed up on Microsoft Word. heheehhee

  54. 54

    K says:

    Dog- there’s a reason teachers tend to be liberal. They care about others. their students, more than chasing the biggest buck available.

    11/17/2007 at 7:58 pm

    No one is saying you can’t be liberal and be a teacher, of course society would be better off. You just can’t talk about it in the classroom. You get caught more than twice you should get fired. All discusions in the classroom should be recorded and and available to the public since taxpayers pay for them. Eat shit liberals. roof roof.

  55. 55

    re. — Iran/Contra: “All the evidence proves that I am a liar — but I sure felt like I was telling the truth!” RR

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