I received an e-mail from one of my Liberal mailing lists telling me that FCC Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein (one of the two Democrats) would be in Austin to hear public comment on the new ownership rules being reconsidered after the courts threw out the 2003 plan. I like to gripe about Clear Channel ruining radio; I’m concerned about Net Neutrality; and I’m irked on how Time Warner forces their ads on its customers which are as flawed as Sen. Ted Stevens’ ignorant diatribe. However, I would listen to what Adelstein had to say, what the panel had to say and see if the level of discourse would be constructive. If I got the chance to ask a question, it would be about Net Neutrality which is my main concern because TV and radio are lost causes. As the cliché goes, the genie is out of the bottle and it can’t be put back in legally or peacefully, especially in these times.
Other than the lady from the Writers Guild of America stating how broadcast media is slaughtering the news through cutbacks in staffing, self-censorship and dumbing down the content with entertainment news as lead stories. The rest of the evening was Hispanic people bitching and moaning over the loss of their Tejano radio stations. Well, the stations remain, all SEVEN of them, but they no longer play true Tejano, it’s really Mexican (code for non-US-born Spanish-speaking artists). Their complaint is still valid though. The feeding frenzy of Clear Channel led to BMP and Univsion gobbling up these former Tejano stations, then they destroyed all the localization we all used to have up until the mid Nineties. This obviously happened with Rock, Pop, Urban, Soul, etc. stations, since they all sound the same regardless of which US city you reside in now. You just wouldn’t know how much non-Mexicans are upset about it from last night’s hearing since they didn’t get a word in as the representatives from LULAC, the cancelled Johnny Canales show and other Hispanics monopolized Adelstein’s time.
At least I got Adelstein’s business card so I can send him a more thoughtful, calm and articulate letter about my concerns over media consolidation destroying local cultures with a corporate overculture and lowering the level of debate in America to name calling, advertising and the lazy he-said, she-said format.