The inimitable Charles P. Pierce gave us a heads-up yesterday about the Federal Communications Commission’s plan to “streamline and modernize” rules governing media ownership, which Charlie rightly calls the prelude to “sheer unadulterated brigandage.”
For starters, the streamlining and modernization would give his old boss, Rupert Murdoch — yes, that Rupert Murdoch — a chance to get his paws on what remains of the Chicago Tribune and Los Angeles Times.
Beyond that, it would give media conglomerates the opportunity to get your local media by the plums with a downhill pull. How would you like to have ol’ Rupe or someone like him running your “local” newspaper/website, radio station and TV channel all at once?
Credo Action followed up with an online petition drive, and there’s something similar going on over at Free Press. Adding your name to the chorus against the FCC’s holiday giveaway can’t hurt and might even help.
Meanwhile, take a quick look around your own media landscape and figure out who the player(s) are. It can be eye-opening to see just who controls your local flow of information.
Here in Bibleburg there is only one locally owned newspaper, the weekly Colorado Springs Independent, which also owns (and shares some staff with) the Colorado Springs Business Journal. I didn’t bother to look up all the radio stations, because I only listen to one — NPR affiliate KRCC-FM, a.k.a. Radio Colorado College — but I did check out the TV stations I can get via rabbit ears. Following is a breakdown of who owns our “local” media.
Newspapers
Gazette — Freedom Communications, Irvine, Calif.
Colorado Springs Independent — locally owned
TV
KKTV (CBS) — Gray Television Inc., Albany, Ga.
KRDO (ABC) — News-Press & Gazette Co., St. Joseph, Mo.
KOAA (NBC) — Evening Post Publishing Co., Charleston, S.C.
FOX21 (FOX) — Barrington Broadcasting Group, Schaumburg, Ill.
KTSC (Rocky Mountain PBS) — Pueblo, Colo.
Radio
KRCC-FM (NPR) — Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO
Mad Blog Media 
Big Brother is Watching
He who controls the present controls the past. He who controls the past controls the future.
Orwell nailed it.
Thanks for letting me know about this. Speaking of Murdoch, his lieutenants, Rebekah Brooks and Andrew Coulson had to show up in court today with three others to answer charges of allegedly paying off public officials.
At least one of the local TV stations and one of the newspapers here in the 801 are locally owned.
Of course, they’re owned by Deseret Management Corporation, which in turn is owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
Thanks OG for the heads up. I signed the petition this AM. And folks wonder why I thought Obama was merely the lesser of two evils?..I’d hoped this kind of crap was over when W handed over the keys to the White House!