FCC vs. The Public

FCC VS THE PUBLIC
[SOURCE: Center for American Progress, AUTHOR: Eric Alterman, George Zornick]
[Commentary] Regulation is to the Bush administration what frugality is to George Steinbrenner. Conservative distaste for government oversight is evident throughout the current federal government. But among its most dramatic manifestations lies in the decline of the Federal Communications Commission as a true regulatory body, empowered to protect the public's interest in public airwaves. The FCC's duties, or neglect thereof, rarely enjoy much discussion in the mainstream media, as evidenced by the recent hubbub over John McCain and Vicki Iseman: at the heart of the issue isn't romance, but lobbying. Specifically, McCain allegedly lobbied the FCC to approve the sale of a television station to a major financial contributor. The issue beneath the screaming headlines and campaign spin is really how corporations use their financial influence to control media ownership. Anyone interested in free airwaves that operate in the public interest has their work cut out for them in reversing these damaging policies. Ownership rules need to be revisited, as do obscenity regulations, to bring rationality to the system. And the FCC needs to take a more active oversight role, especially when it comes to telecommunications companies. But the first step to addressing media consolidation and deregulation is a robust public discussion. None of this nonsense would likely survive the light of day were it only in the media's interest to cover it.
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2008/03/fcc_vs_public.html