Category: media ownership & consolidation

We’ve got a “new” radio station in Champaign-Urbana. New, in that the old Oldies 92 has flipped format to be called “The Chief.” The change mostly means the addition of the 80s to the oldies line up. Oh, and the firing of all airstaff and more automation. I really haven’t listened much, and have only…

The Conference starts officially today, but last night there was check-in and the Academic Brain Trust. Unfortunately, we got stuck in traffic in Metro East and then my car died right when we got to the hotel — which is the best place for it to die. It’s just a battery problem, so we’re not…

With just a few days to go before the big Media Reform conference the Be the Media Blog is starting to see some action. This blog is a continuation of a project begun at the first Media Reform conference back in 2003. It’s a venue for grassroots and independent media makers to comment, report and…

This week there is a one-day pre-conference of sorts to the National Conference for Media Reform: Can Freedom of the Press Survive Media Consolidation? Several big-name speakers will be here, like Seymour Hersh–giving the Tuesday evening keynote–and Danny Goldberg, the new president of Air America. Also in attendance will be several left media luminaries who…

Salon’s Eric Boehlert does a nice job at outlining the unfortunate outcome of the mutli-lateral coalition that mobilized to help stop the FCC’s attempt to loosen media ownership rules: What is surprising for free-speech advocates such as McChesney and Chester, who fear the effects the indecency reforms could have, is that when they look across…

As promised, attorney Harold Feld, representing Prometheus et al, has filed his opposition (download pdf) to Edgewater et al’s motion to dismiss Prometheus’ petition to freeze translator applications (follow that?). Prometheus calls Edgewater’s bluff: Ministries has failed to produce any evidence to rebut the prima facie case, based on publically available documents, that the principles…

Yesterday the Edgewater Broadcasting / Radio Assist Ministry / World Radio Link triumverate filed a motion (download pdf) to dismiss the Prometheus et al petition to freeze the ongoing issuing of new translator radio station licenses by the FCC. Edgewater et al are three companies owned by the same three individuals. Edgewater and Radio Assist…

John and DIYmedia tipped me off to the petition, filed this past Wednesday, March 9, asking the FCC to freeze the processing of applications for new translators stations, based upon allegations of trafficking, as covered here at mediageek and at DIYmedia. The coalition behind the petition includes the Prometheus Radio Project, REC Networks (which did…