RE: [dvd-discuss] ClearChannel Plays It Safe

["Dean Sanchez" <DSanchez(at)fcci-group.com>]

No new laws.  How about just revoking the portion of the
Telecommunications Act that allows the ownership. That policy worked
quite well for many decades.  Make the company divest itself of the
stations.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jeme A Brelin [mailto:jeme@brelin.net]
Sent: Tuesday, September 18, 2001 1:50 PM
To: 'dvd-discuss@eon.law.harvard.edu'
Subject: RE: [dvd-discuss] ClearChannel Plays It Safe



On Tue, 18 Sep 2001, Richard Hartman wrote:
> Radio stations have always made their own playlists.  Is this really
> any different from a station manager that hates Bob Dylan and never
> plays any of his songs?

The difference is that this is politically motivated.

Also, note that you mention "a station manager" and we're talking about
a
conglomerate that not only owns a station in every market (and multiple
in
most), but also owns the promotion arm the biggest revenue-drawing
musical
acts in the country.

Conglomeration and deregulation have brought us a broadcast system that
CANNOT serve the public interest.

> What are you going to do, pass "equal time" legislation so that every
> song must be played once before you can ever repeat one?

How about "equal space" legislation so that every applicant must receive
a
broadcast license before any conglomerate receives a second?  And how
about preventing a conglomerate from running more than one broadcast
medium in a given market?  And how about requiring public service from
our
broadcasters that goes beyond 30 second PSAs in the middle of the night
between infomercials every four days?

Or how about an outright ban on commercial use of public resources?  
(That'd stop the broadcast monopolies, timber sales on public land, and
Pepsi in our schools.)

J.
-- 
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     Jeme A Brelin
    jeme@brelin.net
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