Local Media, Democracy, & Justice: A Southern California Regional Summit (LMDJ)

Here I am at conference 2 of 3 in 5 or 6 days. Jon Bartholomew of Common Cause is giving the introduction.

Jonathan Adelstein is giving the keynote. He started in with a pretty good joke: "I flew for 5 hours, and it's only 5 degrees warmer here than in DC. I thought I'd get a better bump than that."

"This is the center for creative..they're is a special understanding about these issues." "People are consuming 8 hours of media a day... [media] produces 1/6 of the economy."

"When you look at critics of our movement...they say 'there is so much diversity, the Internet, 300 cable channels'... Broadcast radio and television... is still the dominant channel of news and information."

"Real breaking news is being replaced with breaking gossip...." One study showed that local civic affairs coverage makes up only 1 percent of offerings. In reference to how many ab-buster infomercials we get instead: "We may be getting tigheter abs, but we're getting a flabby democracy."

He brings up a rule change I wasn't aware of. In 1995 the FCC repealed the 25 year old Financial Interest and Syndication Rules, or fin-syn, rules that forbid the big networks from owning the programming they played during prime-time, which created the vibrant independent television studio sector that is more or less decimated now.

In recognition of the importance of local activists: "We really feel the wind at our back from people like you."

Q&A

Kathy from Common Cause: What are the 3 things we can do after this meeting?

• Congressional resolution of disapproval of the lifting of the TV-print cross-ownership ban - help us move it forward
• We need to form an independent media diversity committee
• Create real public interest obligations for the digital age
  

(Side note- NAB is suing the FCC over enhanced disclosure)

Q: How do you foresee the change in the administration changing the FCC?

A: In the event that McCain wins, he has overseen the FCC in Congress, but has a deregulatory bend, but he has supported the minority ownership tax credit; he has a thoughtful communications policy team. More hopefully, both Democratic candidates support the resolution of disapproval, Obama supports a diversity committee. It's important that we get the right FCC in to interpret the public interest provisions of the new cross-ownership rules.

You can call Adelstein's office at 202 418 2300, ask for Rudy Brioche.