Media in the Campaign Crosshairs

MEDIA IN THE CAMPAIGN CROSSHAIRS
[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: John Eggerton]
[Commentary] Expect presidential hopefuls Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL), Sen. John McCain (R-AR) and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) to pump up the volume on TV violence and indecency, emergency communications, media ownership, food and drug marketing, and campaign-finance reform. With the next president scheduled to take office only four weeks before the switch is set to be thrown on the digital conversion, the status of the DTV-converter program will no doubt be an election issue as well. And the debate over network neutrality -- or how much control Internet providers should have over access, content, and bandwidth -- could interest top Democrats, given the push it has gotten from left-leaning political-action group MoveOn.org. An attempt to revive the fairness doctrine by another contender, Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH), could gain traction among candidates, like Sen Clinton, with a better shot at the Oval Office. Rep Kucinich has made clear his intent to put media concentration issues in the “center” of Washington via a series of hearings. Patrick Maines, president of industry-backed First Amendment think tank The Media Institute, argues in a sternly worded memo (see link below) that Kucinich’s push for the fairness doctrine means that a “years-long assault on freedom of speech is gaining traction.” Maines argued that the media is losing the war against speech freedoms. “Should the Democrats hold on to the Congress and win the White House,” he states, “this fact will become apparent to everyone.”
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6415513.html?display=News

* Maines: Media Losing First Amendment War
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6415568.html?display=Breaking...