RSSGo yell it from the mountaintops. Or, at least, over the radio.
Oct 19
This seems pretty sketchy. Apparently a high-schools radio frequency has been “seized” by a network of Christian broadcasting stations. The FCC ruled this a better use of the airwaves.
Divine intervention axes school station
I’m trying hard not to take the cynical view of this, but it’s difficult. Application of the criteria “better use” is obviously very subjective. When will someone at the FCC decide that the lies and distortions of Fox News is not a “best use” of cable bandwidth? Do I really need to hear Jack Van Imp declare that each new week is the “real” evidence of the coming rapture and I should therefore repent and send his organization $1000 to ensure my rightful place in heaven?
Oct 20, 2005 @ 14:55:30
I think the Christian aspect is just a red herring. The article says the FCC bases decisions on a point scale that considers things like audience size. The real problem here is the heavily pro-corporate attitude of this administration and it’s many cronies.
Like Harriet Miers, who successfully represented underdogs Disney and Microsoft in antitrust litigation, former FCC chairman Michael Powell used his conservative “values” to distract the country while he dismantled the laws preventing Clear Channel from monopolizing the radio market.
He put in place the policies that allowed the larger radio network to bully these schoolkids.
Other pro-corporate attrocities: Bush forced through bills that protected pharmaceutical, automotive and insurance companies from customer lawsuits in the name of economic recovery, even in cases where customers died. He also threatened to veto bills that would raise the minimum wage or protect employees’ rights. He reversed environmental policies to encourage deforestation and hamstrung attempts by politicians to reverse job outsourcing trends.
All of these things were done by people wrapping themselves in the American flag and waving a Bible. Don’t be fooled. There’s nothing Christian about being greedy and selfish.
Oct 20, 2005 @ 15:20:09
Buddy,
Very good point. I wasn’t trying to imply that the Christian aspect was the cause of it. I do think it could have been part of the decision making process, although as I said I’m “trying hard not to take the cynical view of it” and assume it was in a more benign sense. People naturally will slightly favour what they know and like. If the FCC head was really into HipHop music he/she would likely favour HipHop stations to some small extent.
What makes this case worth mentioning is that the government is “slightly favouring” one religion, as seen by other examples like their “faith-based charities”, etc.