Even Bigger Media

While on the subject of Big Media, let's not forget industry attempts to get around the courts - especially a certain Philadelphia appeals court. The Benton Foundation notes that the New York Times will be running a series of short articles, including one on the media, which "focuses on Big Media and efforts at the FCC to allow for Bigger Media." It goes on:

In the coming weeks, the largest media conglomerates and the FCC will decide (how?) to appeal the Philadelphia federal court decision that threw out the FCC's 2003 attempt to loosen media ownership rules. The new rules would have allowed the same company to own up to three television stations, eight radio stations, a cable operator and a newspaper in the same market.

This is coming down the pike. Watch this space. Btw, for an excellent overview of the "Uprising of 2003" (when more than 2 million citizens rose up to complain about the FCC's attempts to relax media ownership rules), see chapter 7 of Robert McChesney's The Problem of the Media: U.S. Communications Politics in the 21st Century. (And no, I'm not getting a kick-back for sales of his book!) :-) You can also check out NOW With Bill Moyers for more information on media consolidation.