- A voice from the left has joined the call to break up
the media monopoly controlling what Americans know-and don't know.
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- Exclusive to American Free Press By James P. Tucker Jr.
7-15-2
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- Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Ver.), a left-wing populist, has
joined the call to break up the nation's media monopoly that keeps Americans
misinformed and uninformed.
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- Without endorsing American Free Press by name, Sanders
hit AFP's chief targets in a commentary in The Hill, a weekly journal reporting
on issues related to Congress. Sanders wrote:
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- "One of our best-kept secrets is the degree to which
a handful of huge corporations control the flow of information in the United
States. Whether it is television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books or
the Internet, a few giant conglomerates are determining what we see, hear
and read. And the situation is likely to become much worse as a result
of radical deregulation efforts by the Bush ad ministration and some horrendous
court decisions.
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- Television is the means by which most Americans get their
"news." Without exception, every major network is owned by a
huge conglomerate that has enormous conflicts of interest."
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- He cited these examples:
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- * Fox News Channel is owned by Rupert Murdoch, who "owns
a significant portion" of the world's media. His network has "close
ties to the Republican Party and among his 'fair and balanced' commentators
is Newt Gingrich"-former GOP House speaker. Murdoch is also a luminary
in the secret Bilderberg Group.
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- * NBC is owned by General Electric, "one of the
largest corporations in the world-and one with a long history of anti-union
activity. GE, a major contributor to the Republican Party, has substantial
financial interests in weapons manufacturing, finance, nuclear power and
many other industries. Former CEO Jack Welch was one of the leaders in
shutting down American plants and moving them to low-wage countries like
China and Mexico."
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- * ABC is owned by the Disney Corp., "which produces
toys and products in developing countries where they provide their workers
with atrocious wages and working conditions."
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- * CBS is owned by Viacom, "another huge media conglomerate
that owns, among other entities, MTV, Show time, Nickelodeon, VH1, TNN,
CMT, 39 broadcast television stations, 184 radio stations, Paramount Pictures
and Blockbuster Inc."
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- The essential problem with television is that "the
most important issues facing the middle class and working people of our
country are rarely discussed," Sanders said.
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- "Despite the great 'economic boom' of the 1990s,
the average American worker is now working longer for lower wages than
30 years ago and we have lost millions of decent-paying manufacturing jobs,"
Sanders said. "Where are the TV programs addressing our $360 billion
trade deficit, or what our disastrous trade policy has done to depress
wages?"
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- The United States "has the most unfair distribution
of wealth and income in the industrialized world and the highest rate of
childhood poverty," Sanders said.
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- "There's a lot of television promoting greed and
self-interest, but how many programs speak to the 'justice' of the richest
1 percent owning more wealth than the bottom 95 percent?" Sanders
said. "Or the CEOs of major corporations earning 500 times what their
employees make?"
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- Because the District of Columbia Court of Appeals threw
out a regulation limiting companies from owning television stations and
cable franchises in the same local market, the situation will become even
worse, Sanders said.
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- The court also ordered the Federal Communications Commission
to either justify or rewrite the federal rule that limits any one company
from owning television stations that reach more than 35 percent of American
households.
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- "The bottom line is that fewer and fewer huge conglomerates
are controlling virtually everything that the ordinary American sees, hears
and reads," Sanders said. "This is an issue that Congress can
no longer ignore."
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