media consolidation

Democracy Under Threat

Timothy Karr — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:34:49 -0500

The Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision has already picked a winner in the 2012 elections: TV broadcasters.

Companies like CBS Corp., News Corp. and Sinclair Broadcast Group are already dividing the spoils of an election year that will see unprecedented spending on political ads.

Media Minutes: October 21, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 16:31:03 -0400

A street protest outside News Corp.'s annual shareholders' meeting in Los Angeles is sending a message to Rupert Murdoch and his investors that "News Corp. Is Not Above the Law." And community members spoke eloquently at the Rural Broadband Summit about Appalachia’s need for high-speed broadband service.

Media Minutes: September 9, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:43:58 -0400

Over the last few weeks, more than 80 Free Press advocates from across the country met with legislators and their staffs to voice the public’s perspective on media issues like the AT&T-T-Mobile merger, Net Neutrality and community media.

Media Minutes: August 26, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 17:56:41 -0400

St. Louis — the largest urban area in Missouri — is getting less news reported by fewer journalists, thanks to covert media consolidation. And the music industry will be shaken by a policy put in place in the 1970’s that could put copyrighted songs back into the hands of the artists who actually created them.

Related Stories

Media Minutes: July 22, 2011

Stevie Converse — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:38:05 -0400

As News Corp. owner Rupert Murdoch tries to minimize the phone-hacking scandal that has led to several arrests and snared British officials and police in a web of unethical and possibly criminal behavior, U.S. public interest groups and some members of Congress are seizing the opportunity to call attention to the dangers of too much media in too few powerful hands. And a “broadband underclass” is developing in America as some populations soar with the fastest broadband connections available and others plod along with slow or no connections at all.

Media Minutes (2011-07-22)

Stevie Converse — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 20:35:43 -0400

Media Minutes: July 1, 2011

Candace Clement — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:47:56 -0400

What do you do if you live in one of the almost 80 communities across the country where media companies are quietly merging their TV newsrooms, cutting staff and sharing news content? ChangetheChannels.org is calling attention to this growing problem. And an interesting case that could affect the future of documentary filmmaking is unfolding in an unlikely place: tax court.

New Campaign Exposes Covert Consolidation in Newsrooms

Stevie Converse — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 13:11:06 -0400

Full article: Free Press
SavetheNews.org launched "Change the Channels," a new campaign focused on exposing the new face of media consolidation. Across the country, hundreds of TV stations have quietly merged newsrooms, circumventing the FCC's media ownership limits at the expense of independent, local journalism. "Change the Channels" features an interactive map highlighting each city impacted by covert consolidation and shared news operations.

Free Press Slams 'Covert Consolidation'

Stevie Converse — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 09:33:51 -0400

Full article: Broadcasting & Cable
John Eggerton
Change the Channels, a new campaign launched by Free Press, focuses on identifying markets where TV stations have merged newsrooms, including in Chicago, San Francisco, and Syracuse. Free Press wants the FCC to actively investigate the practice and has created an interactive online map to highlight nearly 80 communities where it says some of the "worst" examples of "covert consolidation" have occurred.

Media Minutes: June 17, 2011

Stevie Converse — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 18:10:32 -0400

The FCC released its 450-page assessment on the future of media. Unfortunately, many the report’s recommendations around localism, media consolidation and transparency are contradictory to its analysis. And Sonic’s new 1 Gbps fiber broadband connection with two phone lines for $70 is sure to shake up the broadband market in Sonoma County.