{"id":1333,"date":"2009-07-15T18:09:38","date_gmt":"2009-07-16T01:09:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1333"},"modified":"2009-07-15T18:09:38","modified_gmt":"2009-07-16T01:09:38","slug":"media-reform-advances-courtesy-of-the-economy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1333","title":{"rendered":"Media Reform Advances Courtesy Of The Economy"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest contributors to the woeful state of modern media is the extent to which media companies have consolidated into giant conglomerates with near monopoly power. Some of these corporations control majorities of communications enterprises in numerous markets nationwide.<\/p>\n

It has long been a goal of media reform activists to bring about greater independence and diversity by implementing market caps to limit the reach of these companies. That goal has been hindered by the well-heeled media industry’s lobbying efforts. Now, it appears that the economy is stepping in to enact some free market reform of its own:<\/p>\n

Is the bell tolling for Clear Channel?<\/a>
\n“Analysts believe Clear Channel, now with about $22 billion in total debts, will have trouble making scheduled payments later this year. The company, already down to about 800 stations from its peak of about 1,200 stations, either will have to start selling stations itself or go into bankruptcy, where lenders will put stations up for sale.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Sinclair Eyes Chapter 11<\/a>
\n“Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. said in a regulatory filing that it may file for bankruptcy protection, reports the Associated Press. A miserable advertising market and crippling debt burden may force the Baltimore-based broadcaster into Chapter 11.”<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Clear Channel and Sinclair are leaders in their markets. They are also prominent purveyors of right-wing propaganda. No one likes to see businesses fail, but the prospect of these companies succumbing to recessionary forces could produce real benefits for the business of news. It would be preferable if similarly situated conglomerates were to divest their holdings and downsize operations voluntarily. But if they insist on clinging to power, at the expense of both shareholders and citizens, then this outcome is better than nothing.<\/p>\n

The underlying television and radio stations impacted by this news will continue to broadcast. The prospect of them operating as independent, or as components of smaller station groups, is promising. The danger is that the troubled assets could be picked up by other big conglomerates. We’ll have to wait and see if this turns out to be beneficial or just more of the sort of consolidation that enhances the power of corporations and gags the voice of the people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the biggest contributors to the woeful state of modern media is the extent to which media companies have consolidated into giant conglomerates with near monopoly power. Some of these corporations control majorities of communications enterprises in numerous markets nationwide. It has long been a goal of media reform activists to bring about greater […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[106,604],"class_list":["post-1333","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-big-media","category-general","tag-clear-channel","tag-simmons-broadcast-group"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4Ijg-lv","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":46,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=46","url_meta":{"origin":1333,"position":0},"title":"Radio Free Ohio: Clear Channel Attacks Themselves","author":"Mark NC","date":"5\/30\/2005","format":false,"excerpt":"As part of a promotion for a new progressive talk station in Akron, Ohio, Clear Channel has embarked on an unconventional advertising campaign to woo the wild liberals from their sanctuary. At the Web site for Radio Free Ohio (since replaced by just a logo), they posted a manifesto that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":347,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=347","url_meta":{"origin":1333,"position":1},"title":"Fox Gives You The Business","author":"Mark NC","date":"2\/10\/2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Not two weeks after Rupert Murdoch confesses to propagandizing in support of the war in Iraq, he visits the confessional again, this time with regard to his new Fox Business Channel. 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The article noted that rally\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":1371,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=1371","url_meta":{"origin":1333,"position":3},"title":"Who’s Still Advertising on Glenn Beck?","author":"Mark NC","date":"8\/19\/2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Gawker took the plunge and watched Glenn Beck yesterday to see what advertisers remain after more than twenty ...um... thirty ...er... forty have abandoned the program due to Beck's offensive rhetoric. It is a list that says much about him and his disciples. Here it is with my own comments\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":34496,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=34496","url_meta":{"origin":1333,"position":4},"title":"The End of Rush Limbaugh? His Radio Syndicator is on the Brink of Bankruptcy","author":"Mark NC","date":"4\/25\/2017","format":false,"excerpt":"The presidency of Donald Trump is running an obstacle course of speed bumps and potholes. He has failed to achieve anything of note during his first 100 days in office. And that's according to his own published benchmarks. There is no repeal of ObamaCare, no defeat if ISIS, no tax\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General"","block_context":{"text":"General","link":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?cat=1"},"img":{"alt_text":"Rush Limbaugh","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/..\/Pix\/Trump\/limbaugh-19841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/..\/Pix\/Trump\/limbaugh-19841.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/..\/Pix\/Trump\/limbaugh-19841.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":424,"url":"https:\/\/www.newscorpse.com\/ncWP\/?p=424","url_meta":{"origin":1333,"position":5},"title":"Murdoch Makes Bid For Dow Jones","author":"Mark NC","date":"5\/1\/2007","format":false,"excerpt":"Rupert Murdoch's News Corp. has made an unsolicited offer to purchase the Dow Jones Company, owner of, among other things, the Wall Street Journal. Dow Jones is majority controlled by the Bancroft family, who have been reluctant to sell in the past. 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