Press Release
North Carolina Speaks Out on Media Consolidation
Contact: Timothy Karr, 201-533-8838
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A standing-room only crowd of more than 400 people packed a "Town Meeting on the Future of the Media" on Thursday night, voicing concerns about greater media consolidation to Federal Communications Commissioners Michael J. Copps and Jonathan Adelstein.
The Asheville forum was the first public forum since the FCC launched its latest review of media ownership rules. "I'm sad to report that the large media companies got just what they wanted," Adelstein said of the FCC's new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. "Last week, they got a wide open notice that's essentially a blank check to permit further media consolidation, without any accountability to local communities."
"I don't think I exaggerate at all," Copps told the audience at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, "in saying that the issue is whether a few large conglomerates will be ceded content control over our music, entertainment and information; gatekeeper control over the civil dialogue of our country; and veto power over they majority of what we and our families, watch, hear and read."
The commissioners listened to more than five hours of public testimony from local residents, as well as dozens of people who traveled to the event from across North Carolina and as far away as Nashville, Tennessee. Free Press recorded all testimony and will submit it to the FCC and North Carolina's congressional delegation.
"The struggle we face today is to reclaim some portion of the public airwaves for public-interest use focused on the needs of local communities," said Wally Bowen, executive director of the Mountain Area Information Network. "It's time to return the public airwaves of Western North Carolina to the people who live and work in Western North Carolina."
Bowen was joined in a panel discussion before the public testimony by James F. Goodmon, President & CEO, Capitol Broadcasting Company, John Hayes, executive director, Empowerment Resource Center; David McConnville, founder, Media Arts Project; Ken Salyer, vice president/market manager, Clear Channel Asheville; Gustavo Silva, Coalición del Organazaciones Latino Americanas (COLA); and Virgil Smith, publisher, Asheville Citizen-Times.
Smith defended the aim of Gannett, his newspaper's parent company, to do away with the prohibition on the "cross-ownership" of newspapers and broadcast outlets. "Common ownership enhances coverage, without compromising the editorial independence of the newspaper," he said. "It would open up a multitude of opportunities for additional news and information products to be provided to consumers."
Ken Salyer of Clear Channel Asheville hailed his company's record of charity and community service. "While opposing viewpoints indicate that consolidation is a negative for local communities," he said, "we believe we've utilized it to the advantage of our community by combining our resources to serve the community on a larger scale than would otherwise be possible."
But Goodmon, who owns television and radio stations in the Raleigh area, disputed the altruistic motives of the large chains when it comes to media consolidation.
"Clear Channel didn't buy these stations to do 'Tools for Schools,'" Goodmon said. "They did it to make lots of money. It's not about serving the community or local autonomy. They want these stations because they want more money."
The Asheville meeting was presented by Free Press, the national, nonpartisan media reform and policy group, in partnership with the Mountain Area Information Network, the Empowerment Resource Center of Asheville-Buncombe, League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County, The People's Channel, ACLU of North Carolina, URTV, Christians for a United Community, Asheville Latin Americans for Advancement Society, Prometheus Radio Project, Common Cause, and the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
"While large media conglomerates and their paid spokespeople praise the free market and complain about government regulation," said David McConville, founder of Asheville's Media Arts Project, "they've hypocritically depended on the government-granted monopolies over the past 80 years to get to where they are today."
Free Press previously helped organize town meetings in Portland, Ore; Albuquerque, N.M.; Dearborn, Mich.; St. Paul, Minn.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Norfolk, Va..
"Despite the fact that 95 percent of the people are against further consolidation, the FCC seems to be moving in the opposite direction," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press. "Speaker after speaker in Asheville made it clear that they want policies that encourage more diverse, independent and local viewpoints. We hope all the commissioners will go out across the country and listen to the voices of real people before making such monumental media policy decisions."
To read more about the Town Meeting on the Future of Media, please visit www.freepress.net/future
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Free Press (www.freepress.net) is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media and involve the public in media policymaking. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal, affordable access to communications.
The Asheville forum was the first public forum since the FCC launched its latest review of media ownership rules. "I'm sad to report that the large media companies got just what they wanted," Adelstein said of the FCC's new Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. "Last week, they got a wide open notice that's essentially a blank check to permit further media consolidation, without any accountability to local communities."
"I don't think I exaggerate at all," Copps told the audience at Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College, "in saying that the issue is whether a few large conglomerates will be ceded content control over our music, entertainment and information; gatekeeper control over the civil dialogue of our country; and veto power over they majority of what we and our families, watch, hear and read."
The commissioners listened to more than five hours of public testimony from local residents, as well as dozens of people who traveled to the event from across North Carolina and as far away as Nashville, Tennessee. Free Press recorded all testimony and will submit it to the FCC and North Carolina's congressional delegation.
"The struggle we face today is to reclaim some portion of the public airwaves for public-interest use focused on the needs of local communities," said Wally Bowen, executive director of the Mountain Area Information Network. "It's time to return the public airwaves of Western North Carolina to the people who live and work in Western North Carolina."
Bowen was joined in a panel discussion before the public testimony by James F. Goodmon, President & CEO, Capitol Broadcasting Company, John Hayes, executive director, Empowerment Resource Center; David McConnville, founder, Media Arts Project; Ken Salyer, vice president/market manager, Clear Channel Asheville; Gustavo Silva, Coalición del Organazaciones Latino Americanas (COLA); and Virgil Smith, publisher, Asheville Citizen-Times.
Smith defended the aim of Gannett, his newspaper's parent company, to do away with the prohibition on the "cross-ownership" of newspapers and broadcast outlets. "Common ownership enhances coverage, without compromising the editorial independence of the newspaper," he said. "It would open up a multitude of opportunities for additional news and information products to be provided to consumers."
Ken Salyer of Clear Channel Asheville hailed his company's record of charity and community service. "While opposing viewpoints indicate that consolidation is a negative for local communities," he said, "we believe we've utilized it to the advantage of our community by combining our resources to serve the community on a larger scale than would otherwise be possible."
But Goodmon, who owns television and radio stations in the Raleigh area, disputed the altruistic motives of the large chains when it comes to media consolidation.
"Clear Channel didn't buy these stations to do 'Tools for Schools,'" Goodmon said. "They did it to make lots of money. It's not about serving the community or local autonomy. They want these stations because they want more money."
The Asheville meeting was presented by Free Press, the national, nonpartisan media reform and policy group, in partnership with the Mountain Area Information Network, the Empowerment Resource Center of Asheville-Buncombe, League of Women Voters of Asheville-Buncombe County, The People's Channel, ACLU of North Carolina, URTV, Christians for a United Community, Asheville Latin Americans for Advancement Society, Prometheus Radio Project, Common Cause, and the Western North Carolina Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.
"While large media conglomerates and their paid spokespeople praise the free market and complain about government regulation," said David McConville, founder of Asheville's Media Arts Project, "they've hypocritically depended on the government-granted monopolies over the past 80 years to get to where they are today."
Free Press previously helped organize town meetings in Portland, Ore; Albuquerque, N.M.; Dearborn, Mich.; St. Paul, Minn.; Iowa City, Iowa; and Norfolk, Va..
"Despite the fact that 95 percent of the people are against further consolidation, the FCC seems to be moving in the opposite direction," said Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press. "Speaker after speaker in Asheville made it clear that they want policies that encourage more diverse, independent and local viewpoints. We hope all the commissioners will go out across the country and listen to the voices of real people before making such monumental media policy decisions."
To read more about the Town Meeting on the Future of Media, please visit www.freepress.net/future
###
Free Press (www.freepress.net) is a national, nonpartisan organization working to reform the media and involve the public in media policymaking. Through education, organizing and advocacy, we promote diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, and universal, affordable access to communications.
