It's difficult to understand how companies that operate like CC, chopping heads (of mostly air staff) when they don't deliver the numbers at the end of the year, doesn't just outsource everything. For all practical purposes, they run plug and play anyway.
Naturally, we know that they would offer us all seven bucks an hour to do production or voicetracking so unless they bought all the indies out like they did the major syndicators, concert venues, and ticket outlets, I don't guess it would be profitable for them on our terms.
Well, we are practically to the place where when spots need to be cut, (they) will funnel it to corporate production, that is also an open production house as a means of paying for itself and profits beyond. Surprised they haven't thought of it yet? Oh, they have but they only make so many messes at once and right now their priority to get even larger chunks of ownership in markets.
Larger than that, is the issue of the broadcast behemoths regaining their control over print, tv and radio.
Don't let the press fool you on the "consumer friendly" Kevin Martin. That baby face might have you believe he has some common sense but he is just another corporate errand boy for the Bush Administration.
Read all about this and ask yourself, "is this not all about a government stamp on the total control over what the public sees and hears?" You don't even have to be a paranoid conspiracy theorist to open your eyes to what is happening. When our government promotes the control of the media, it's a real bad sign
>>> read
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i911e537c1c7094d20c57685b6bf283d4
The chairman of the FCC released a plan Tuesday that eases the decades-old rule barring common ownership of a TV station and newspaper in the same market.
FCC chairman Kevin Martin's proposal instructs the agency to the "presumption" that newspaper-TV combinations in the top 20 markets are in the public interest. Combinations outside of the top 20 markets could still be allowed but would face a higher hurdle at the commission, Martin said.
"It is important to us to recognize in our rules that there is a significantly different media landscape, particularly for newspapers, than there was when we put the rule in place in 1975," he told reporters.
The combos in the top 20 would only be allowed if there remained eight or more "independent voices" in the market and the station being purchased was not among the four most-watched stations. The companies also would have to show that the combined entity would increase the amount of local news in the market and that both outlets will continue to exercise independent news judgment.
While the change still has to be approved by the full commission, Martin likely can count on the votes of the two other Republican commissioners, Robert McDowell and Deborah Tate. Martin expects a vote on the issue Dec. 18.
While Martin described the proposal as "moderate and fair," Democratic commissioners Michael Copps and Jonathan Adelstein said that was a gross mischaracterization.
"This is portrayed as a moderate proposal, but it is a wolf in sheep's clothing," they said. "The proposal could repeal the ban in every market in America, not just the top 20."
The commissioners said the waiver process allows even small markets to come under the thumb of the big media companies.
DUH.
[URL added as a courtesy by Radio-Info so that interested readers can read the story in its entirety]
