Consolidation promotes diversity
I will be out of town and won't be able to attend the hearing, but I would be interested in hearing how the commissioners would respond to the idea that media consolidation actually promotes diversity of voice in the media. In the current market, broadcasters must compete not only amongst one another but also against cable, satellite (both television and radio), and the Internet for the advertising dollars on which they rely. It would seem to me that without the resources afforded by corporate ownership, many of these outfits simply could not afford to continue operating and would be forced to close their doors, resulting in a further loss of independent voices and programming. And in the spirit of full disclosure, I do some consulting work with the NAB.
|