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Taking Back the Airwaves Are The Media Serving the Public Interest?

Ron CooperSacramento Media Groupwww.commoncause.org

What We’ll Cover

• Sacramento Media Group and its mission

• Responsibility of the FCC in preserving our public interest

• Critical issues in media reform

• How you can make a difference

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Sample Section divider slideSacramento Media Group (SMG)

Who We Are

• We are a non-profit, non-partisan citizens' lobby organization

• Established in 2003 by volunteer community members

• Today’s members include activists from many organizations including the League of Women Voters , Access Sacramento Community Media Center, and other community-minded groups

Our Mission

SMG believes that independent, diverse media are essential to the health of American democracy.

We advocate on issues related to print, broadcast, and Internet media

• Oppose concentration of media ownership

• Denounce “fake news”

• Preserve funding for public, education and government access to airwaves

• Monitor corporate media and their regulatory bodies

• Increase community awareness of critical broadcast and Internet issues

What We Want You to Know

As a result, we have less information to make the important decisions that affect our families, communities, state, and country.

These companies:

• Use the public airwaves at no charge – worth an estimated $750B

• Have powerful special interest lobbiesin Washington, DC

• Control the flow of ideas and informationto our homes

A Handful Of Companies Dominate The Media Market

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Sample Section divider slideFCC and Media Control

Federal Communication Commission (FCC)

• Established as an independent US government agency by the Communications Act of 1934.

• Charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite and cable.

• Directed by 5 commissioners appointed by the president for 5 year terms; only 3 may be of the same political party.

The FCC gave broadcasters the privilege of using public airwaves free in exchange for an obligation to serve the “public interest, convenience, and necessity.”

Has the Public Interest Been Served?

1981 Broadcasters abandoned voluntary code of conduct

which established standards through industry self-

regulation.

1987 FCC repealed provisions of

the Fairness Doctrine requiring broadcasters to

provide reasonable opportunities for

contrasting/dissenting views

1984FCC eliminated requirements of broadcasters to reach out

to public to determine community needs.

1996 Telecommunications

deregulation bill allowed further ownership

consolidation in radio and television markets.

1981FCC created “postcard

renewal process,” throwing aside detailed review of

whether broadcasters meet obligations.

More Media Control in Fewer Hands

Source: The Fallout From the Telecommunications Act of 1996: Unintended Consequences and Lessons Learned , Common Cause, May 2005.

• Lifted the 40 station limit on the number of radio stations one company could own.

The Telecommunications Act of 1996:

It made possible the creation of radio giants like Clear Channel with more than 1200 stations.

• Lifted the 12 station limit on the number of local TV stations any one corporation could own.

Today just 6 companies control 75% of all prime-time viewing

• Deregulated cable rates. Between 1996 and 2003, rates increased nearly 50%

• Extended term of a broadcast license from 5 to 8 years.

Made it more difficult for citizens to challenge license renewals.

More Media Control in Fewer Hands

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2923

1410

6 5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1938 1987 1990 1992 1997 2000 2004

Number of corporations that control a majority of U.S. Media

Source: Ben Bagdikian’s The Media Monopoly, 2004

Today 6 Corporations Control the Media Scene

Corp/CEO Broadcast TV Cable/Satellite TV Internet

Walt DisneyRobert A. Iger

• ABC Network• ABC Family

• Disney Channel• ESPN, ESPN2

Time WarnerRichard D. Parsons

• Turner Broadcasting• Warner Bros. Television

• HBO• Time Warner Cable

America On Line (AOL)

ViacomPhilippe Dauman

Comedy Central, Logo, BET, Spike, TV Land, Nick at Nite, Nickelodeon, MTV, VH1, CMT, MHD

CBSLes Moonves

• CBS• UPN• Infinity Broadcasting

Showtime Networks

General ElectricJack Welch

• NBC Universal, NBC Television Network, NBC Universal Television Group, NBC News

• Telemundo

MSNBC, Bravo and the Sci Fi Channel • CNBC.com• hulu.com (a joint venture between NBC Universal and News Corp.)

News CorporationRupert Murdoch

• Fox Television Network• Fox Broadcasting Co.• My Network TV

• FOX Business, FOX Classics, FOX Movie Channel, FOX Sports Net, FX Networks, SPEED Channel, FUEL TV, Big Ten Networks, National Geographic Channel

• SKY Television Network, STAR TV

• Foxsports.com• MySpace• Photobucket• RottenTomatoes

Partial listing of media organizations owned in full or part Partial listing of media organizations owned in full or part

For more information, go to: http://stopbigmedia.com/chart.phpFor more information, go to: http://stopbigmedia.com/chart.php

Today 6 Corporations Control the Media Scene

Corp/CEO Print Other holdings

Walt DisneyRobert A. Iger

• Film – Walt Disney Motion Pictures, Touchstone Pictures, Miramax Films, ABC Studios, Pixar, SoapNet, Muppets Holding Company, Toon Disney• Resorts – Theme parks (11) in Florida, California, Japan, France, China

Time WarnerRichard D. Parsons

Magazines - Time Inc. magazines including: Entertainment Weekly, Essence, Fortune, Life, Money, Sports Illustrated, Sunset and Time

Films – Warner Brothers, Castle Rock, DC Comics, New Line Cinema

ViacomPhilippe Dauman

• Film Production & Distribution – Viacom International, Paramount Pictures, DreamWorks, Republic Pictures, MTV Films, Nickelodeon Movies

CBSLes Moonves

• Television Production - Paramount's television studio• Outdoor Advertising -- Viacom Outdoor

General ElectricJack Welch

Magazines - SciFi Magazine • Commercial Finance• Industrial• Infrastructure• Money• Healthcare

News CorporationRupert Murdoch

• Newspapers – more than 100 newspaper in the world including the London Times, The Sun, The New York Post, The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s• Magazines - TV Guide, The Weekly Standard, and more than thirty magaizines in Australia and England• Books – Harper Collins

• Music – My Space Records and holdings in India and Russia• Sports – National Rugby League (Aus. & NZ) and Colorado Rockies baseball• Studios – 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight, Fox Television Studios, and many others• Misc – Stats Inc., FOX Sports Grill

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Sample Section divider slideCritical Issues in Media Reform

National

• Media Monopolies

• Public Interest Obligations (PIO) of Broadcasters

• Net Neutrality

• “Fake News”

California

• Protecting & Expanding Community Media

• Expanding Access to Media in Low Income & Rural Communities

Sacramento

• Political coverage by local TV stations

• Sacramento WiFi

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Sample Section divider slideTogether We Can Make a Difference

SMG Helps You Stay Connected & Aware

• As a resource for media issues

• As a place to meet with other media activistsFirst Monday of each month

6:00 – 8:00 pm.

Coloma Community Center

• For current monitoring of local broadcasters and their PIO obligation

• For current media matters posted on our website

Look to the Sacramento Media Group

For more information, contact:JoAnn Fuller, Sacramento Media Groupsmg@commoncause.org(916) 443-1792

SMG Helps You Stay Connected & Aware

Navigate to: http://www.commoncause.org

• Select your state

• Select Media Reform > Sacramento Media Group

Additional Resources

http://mediaaccess.org

http://stopbigmedia.com

http://freepress.net

You Provide the Action

• Join Sacramento Media Group

• Write to your local TV station

• Get involved with local community media

• Contact Congress & the FCC to register your concerns

• Share this information with others

Remember, the airwaves belong to you!

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Sample Section divider slideAppendix

Sacramento TV Coverage: Election Nov. 2006

Scope of Project

Urge local television stations to meet the national benchmark* of a minimum of 5 minutes of candidate-focused, election-issue discussion per evening for 30 days preceding an election.

*Set by the bipartisan Presidential Advisory Committee on Public Interest Obligations of Digital Television Broadcasters (PIAC).

Source: Sacramento Television Coverage of the November 2006 General Election: A Public Interest- Public Airways Community Project, Sacramento Media Group, November 2007.

SMG Goals

• Analyze and report stations’ performance against above standards.

• Analyze and report on content in station public files, required by the FCC, including revenues from political advertising during 2006 election.

• Participate in a local television news monitoring investigation sponsored by California State University, Sacramento

Local Television Broadcasters Contacted

Station NetworkParent

CorporationAgreed to Participate in

Interview

3 KCRA NBC Hearst-Argyle Yes

10 KXTV ABCGannett

BroadcastingNo Response

13 KOVR CBS Viacom Yes

19 KUVS UnivisionUnivision

CommunicationsNo Response

40 KXTL FoxTribune

BroadcastingYes

Content of Public Files

5

5

55

123 KCRA

10 KXTV

13 KOVR

19 KUVS

40 KXTL

Political Advertising for Statewide Offices

Figures in millions of dollars

Sacramento TV Coverage: Election Nov. 2006

Key Findings

• Only one Sacramento station, Channel 3, met the minimum PIAC standard of 5 minutes per night of election-related coverage during the 30 days before Election Day on Nov. 7, 2006

• The race for governor received the most coverage, 34%, though the race was not considered to be competitive during the final month

• Public files at all stations were of limited use in evaluating how well the stations were meeting their FCC mandated public interest obligations.

• During the period from Sept. through Election Day, the 5 local broadcasters received an estimated total of $32 million in political advertising

Source: Sacramento Television Coverage of the November 2006 General Election: A Public Interest- Public Airways Community Project, Sacramento Media Group, November 2007.