Would you want the company that manufactured your refrigerator also supply you with television entertainment? How about lend you money for that nice new house? Build aircraft engines?
Well, it does. All of the above and then some.
General Electric is one of the so-called Big Ten, the world's largest media entertainment conglomerates. We are all pretty much aware that GE is in the home appliance business. What is not so widely known is the fact that the company also owns numerous television networks, such as NBC, MSNBC, and CNBC, and various sports teams and live venues.
Others among the Big Ten are Walt Disney Company, which owns ABC, all Disney channels, and ESPN and all its varieties, as well as a number of magazines, movie production companies, and - of course - the Disney theme parks across the world; AOL Time Warner with ownership in television (WB, HBO, TNT, E!, Comedy Central, etc), Internet (America Online, Compuserve, Netscape, Roadrunner, ICQ, AIM, etc), more than 64 magazines, movie production companies, sports teams (yes, they own the Atlanta Braves), and much more. Oh, and let's not forget Newscorp, whose major shareholder, chairman, and managing director is one Rupert Murdoch. Newscorp proudly owns FOX News and the NY Post, among many other more or less vile things.
Lest we forget the presidential election in 04 and Kerry's treatment at the hands of the media, most notably but definitely not solely FOX News, here is an excerpt of the movie Outfoxed, which did a brilliant job of shining a light on the bias of the network and those who run it.
As most of us know, since the elimination of the Fairness Doctrine, the media have been following a different doctrine entirely: The Almighty Dollar. This has come at the expense of fairness, diversity, and freedom of speech.
With ever greater consolidation of so many media outlets into only a few hands, there has been a growing sense of urgency among the public and calls for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine and stronger FCC regulations against media monopolies.
So strong were the voices, that yesterday, the FCC and its five members heard testimony from both experts and public, arguing against relaxation of media ownership rules.
Speakers included Mark Cooper, of the Consumer Federation of America, Andrew Schwartzman, president of public interest group Media Access Project, and Rev. Jesse Jackson. Outside, a large rally in support of the hearing and against media consolidation took on the spirit of Halloween, as activists came dressed as cheerleaders, chanting against monopolies.
Only two days before that, signaling that Washington has heard and is aware, Senators Kerry and Obama had and op-ed in the Boston-Bay State Banner calling for a change in FCC rules and why media diversity and minority ownership is important.
The bedrock of America’s greatest advances — the foundation of what we know today are defining values — was formed not by cheering on things as they were, but by taking them on and demanding change. The thoughtful exchange of diverse viewpoints not only helps guarantee our freedom as individuals, it ensures those in power can be held accountable for all that they do.But to engage in the debates that have always made America stronger, it takes a stage and a platform for discussion — and never before have these platforms been more endangered.
In recent years, we have witnessed unprecedented consolidation in our traditional media outlets. Large mergers and corporate deals have reduced the number of voices and viewpoints in the media marketplace. At the same time, massive technological change and an explosion of Internet access have opened new avenues for information and new methods of discourse. One thing we can be sure of — change is upon us.
We all need to realize what the ramifications of any relaxation of FCC ownership rules are, and that we must join John Kerry, Barack Obama, Reverend Jackson, and many more citizens in speaking out against further consolidation of the media.
I urge everyone to please go to www.stopbigmedia.com to find out what is at stake and how to get involved.
