Tomorrow, November 9, from 4 to 11pm at Seattle Town Hall, we all have a chance to say something about media ownership at the Federal Communications Commission hearing. There’s a concern that huge companies are buying up every small channel of free speech, which means, well, 1984.
Last year I attended an FCC hearing (the one at the Seattle Central Library), and got to hear a lot of stories about how big media companies buying up airwaves and newspapers are making it hard for local media outlets to stay afloat.
Someone from Vashon Island, for example, talked about how their radio network was getting pushed aside by bigger, louder amplitudes. I heard a lot of people talk about how budgets were getting slimmer and slimmer for funding public service stuff.
This hearing is an opportunity for everybody to get mad. Which is good, considering complacency is all it takes for us to turn into Orwellian zombies.
What I found, however, is that the FCC guys looked a little bored while everybody vented.
Go early if you want to say something, there’s a sign-up sheet and they won’t get to everybody on it. Some people really get on their soap box, so be prepared.
If you agree that having a few multinational corporations own all of the media is a threat to our democracy — the time to act is now.–SeattleTimes
Seattle FCC Hearing
November 9, 2007
4-11 p.m.
Seattle Town Hall
FCC.gov
Speaking of free speech, here’s an interesting news item, courtesy of BBC.
A little crazy, methinks. what do y’all think?
-a