LIBERADIO(!)

FCC Public Hearing Details
Date: Monday, December 11, 2006
Time: 1:00p.m.
Time to Line Up to Sign Up to Testify: 10:00a.m. (Your public comments will be limited to 2 minutes)
Location: Belmont University, Massey Performing Arts Center, Massey Concert Hall, 1900 Belmont Blvd, Nashville, TN, Belmont Campus Map and Directions

Agenda and List of Witnesses follows

1:00 p.m.: Welcome/Opening Remarks

1:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion – Issues Affecting the Music Recording Industry
Harold Bradley, International Vice-President of American Federation of Musicians and Country Music Hall of Fame inductee; Rick Carnes, Songwriter and President of the Songwriters Guild of America; Luke M. Froeb, William C. and Margaret W. Oehmig Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship and Free Enterprise, Owen Graduate School of Management, Vanderbilt University; Dobie Gray, International Recording Artist/Songwriter and member, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA); George Jones, Legendary Grammy Award Winning Recording Artist, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, AFTRA member; Naomi Judd, Grammy Award Winner, Singer, Songwriter, Author, Actor and Activist; Sharon Kay, General Manager, WFSK-Fisk University; Jenny Toomey, Singer/Writer and Executive Director of the Future of Music Coalition; Porter Wagoner, Nashville Recording Artist/Writer, Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, member, Grand Ole Opry, member, AFTRA; Bud Walters, President, Cromwell Radio; Craig Wiseman, Songwriter and Publisher, Big Loud Shirt Industries, Member, AFTRA and Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI); Christopher S. Yoo, Professor of Law and Director, Program on Technology and Entertainment Law, Vanderbilt University Law School

3:00 p.m.: Public Comments

5:00 p.m.: Break

5:20 p.m.: Welcoming Remarks

5:30 p.m.: Panel Discussion – Nashville Market Overview and Issues Affecting Broadcasters and Independent Programmers
Gary W. Cunningham, Publisher and President, GCA Publishing, Member, AFCP, Nashville Community Newspapers; Bob D’Andrea, Founder and President, Christian Television Network; Elden Hale, Senior Vice President, Meredith Broadcasting Group, General Manager, WSMV-TV, Nashville, TN; John Heidelberg, President of Heidelberg Broadcasting and owner of
WVOL-AM 1470; Alex Jones, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, Director of the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government; Gene Kimmelman, Vice President for Federal and International Affairs, Consumer Union; Ellen Leifeld, Publisher and President, The Tennessean; Deborah A. McDermott, President, Young Broadcasting Inc.; Terry Pefanis, Chief Operating Officer, Big Idea, Inc.; Wendell Rawls, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter and editor; Debbie Turner, President and General Manager, News Channel 5 Network, Nashville, TN; Ginny Welsch, Co-founder and Executive Director of 98.9 WRFN-LPFM Radio Free Nashville; James Wolfe, former radio station and production and radio label executive.

7:00 p.m.: Public Comments

9:00 p.m.: Adjournment

The moderator will be Henry Rivera, former FCC Commissioner.

A live audio cast of the hearing will be available at the FCC’s website at www.fcc.gov on a first-come, first-served basis. The public may also file comments or other documents with the Commission and should reference docket number 06-121 when filing by paper or submit your filing electronically by going to http://gullfoss2.fcc.gov/prod/ecfs/upload_v2.cgi and enter proceeding number 06-121. Filing instructions are provided at http://www.fcc.gov/ownership/comments.html

Sign language interpreters and open captioning will be provided for this event. Other reasonable accommodations for people with disabilities are available upon request. Include a description of the accommodation needed, and include a way we can contact you if we need more information. Please make your request as early as possible. Last minute requests will be accepted, but may be impossible to fill. Send an e-mail to fcc504@fcc.gov or call the Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau at 202-418-0530 (voice), 202-418-0432 (tty).

For additional information about the hearing, please visit the FCC’s website at http://www.fcc.gov/ownership. Press inquiries should be directed to Rebecca Fisher, at 202-418-2359, or David Fiske, at 202-418-0513. If you are a member of the press and plan to attend the hearing, please contact Rebecca Fisher or David Fiske.

Tomorrow is the big day. Tomorrow the FCC comes to Nashville for a public hearing on media consolidation. To whet your appetite, let’s take a trip in the WayBackâ„¢ machine to last September when we found out that the staff of the FCC was ordered to destroy all copies of a 2003 study suggesting that a “greater concentration of media ownership would hurt local TV news coverage.”

The report, which former chairman Michael Powell denied ever seeing, would have remained buried if a copy was not clandestinely given to Senator Barbara Boxer during FCC Chairman Kevin Martin’s confirmation hearing.

The analysis of the report showed “local ownership of television stations adds almost five and one-half minutes of total news to broadcasts and more than three minutes of “on-location” news,” a conclusion at odds with arguments the FCC made in 2003 in favor or increasing the number of television stations a company could own in a single market.

On our next stop in the Waybackâ„¢ machine is November 2006 when the FCC disclosed the launching of ten new studies on media ownership during the Thanksgiving holiday. Funny though, the two Democratic commissioners didn’t really know anything about them.

“Today’s announcement of the Commission’s new media ownership studies, unfortunately, raises more questions in the public’s mind than it answers,” Democrat Michael Copps declared. “How were the contractors selected for the outside projects? How much money is being spent on each project—and on the projects collectively? What kind of peer review process is envisioned?”

Shortly after Copps’ remarks, his fellow Democrat Jonathan Adelstein released a similar statement.

“Today’s unilateral release of this Public Notice on the eve of the Thanksgiving holiday ultimately undermines the public’s confidence by raising more questions than it answers,” Adelstein said in comments distributed to reporters. “The descriptions of the studies are scant, lacking any sense of the Commission’s expectations for scope, proposed methodology and data sources. In certain instances, the truncated period of time to complete the studies is an ingredient for a study that doesn’t engender public faith and confidence.”

“Socially Conscious Holiday Shopping”, by Jake Tapper (ABC News Political Unit)
Jake Tapper does a wonderful public service by compiling an excellent list of socially conscious shopping options, from fair trade retail establishments to corporations whose CEOs are women. Give this list a look before you hit the mall.

“Exclusive: What the Baker Report Recommends”, by Mike Allen (TIME)
Mike Allen nicely summarizes the finer points of the 79 recommendations of the Iraq Study Group, including the controversial troop redeployment component and diplomatic engagement with Iran and Syria. Well worth a read to figure out where the old guard thinks we should head as you hear about why the new guard is going to ignore the recommendations.

“Neo-Cons Move to Preempt Baker Report”, by Jim Lobe (Inter Press Service)
Speaking of which, here’s some incisive IPS analysis of the pre-emptive strikes made by prominent neo-conservatives against the recommendations of the ISG.

“To Protect The Vote, Start Local”, by Paul Rogat Loeb (TomPaine.com)
Just as local cities have adopted environmental and wage laws that exceed federal standards, maybe it’s time for local initiatives protecting the sanctity of the vote.

Summary: In our interview with Kilowatt Ours director and energy conservation specialist, Jeff Barrie, we ask what simple things you can do to save energy this holiday season. He also tells us how we can save some energy this winter as the temperature starts to drop and home heating bills start to rise.

Tips from Ideal Bite:
Intermatic Appliance Timer – try this or just pick one up at your local hardware store ($7).
Solar Santa String Lights – use year round without worrying about wasting energy ($100).
LED Mini-Ice Christmas Lights – go for LED Christmas lights, which resemble the conventional kind but are 90% more energy-efficient… plus they last longer ($20-$24).
Ideal Bite’s Green Xmas Tree Tip – go eco with your tree this holiday.

Listen to: At 3:30am, is anyone really looking at your Christmas lights? (14:33 6.7MB)

Congratulations to Mary Cheney, openly gay daughter of Vice President Dick Cheney, who is preganant and expecting a baby with her partner of 15 years.

“The vice president and Mrs. Cheney are looking forward with eager anticipation to the arrival of their sixth grandchild,” spokesperson Lea Anne McBride tells the Post. (The Cheneys’ older daughter, Elizabeth, welcomed her fifth child in July.)”

How come the Cheneys get tobe joyful over having a happy, openly gay child in a committed relationship who is about to become a parent and we don’t?

Note to Mary Cheney: Please do not come to Tennessee and try to get married as we just passed a constitutional amendment against your would-be attempt to legitimize your child.

Summary: It’s Freddie’s birthday (no matter what he says) and we’re celebrating it along with his friends and his big family. Presents for Freddie include phone calls from his loved ones, agreeing with all his opinions, and an FCC hearing in his hometown! Also, leaked memos, Chuck Hagel for President, lowering expectations of the Iraq Study Group.

Listen to: The First Annual Freddie O’Connell Birthday Show, Part 1 (37:28 17.2MB)

“All the King’s Horses…”, by Michael Hirsh (Newsweek)
Hirsh thinks that the situation in Iraq is hopeless. But there’s still much good that can be done in Afghanistan, so why aren’t we focusing on that?!

“Fantastic Job, Mr. President”, by Richard Cohen (Washington Post)
Cohen catches the President actually lying. But, uh, so did the rest of the media. Why didn’t anybody say anything?! Moment of accountability Liberadio(!)’s ass! How about a moment of credibility? I bet there are WMDs in Iraq, too.

“Legal Victory for Survivors of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita” (Public Citizen)
Nobody’s written a cheeky country song rhyming “forgotten” with “Katrina”, yet. Maybe FEMA was hoping that nobody would notice their taking with one hand and giving nothing with the other to the victims of the Gulf Coast hurricanes? Compassionate incompetence rears its head again.

“Defining a Racist”, by Malcom Gladwell
Thoughts on racism from an influential pop academic. Check out the implicit association tests referenced in the piece.

“Rumsfeld’s Memo of Options for Iraq War” (New York Times)
So Donald Rumsfeld wrote this memo, right? And it has phrases like, “it is time for a major adjustment”, and “Clearly, what U.S. forces are currently doing in Iraq is not working well enough or fast enough”, and “Set a firm withdrawal date to leave”, right? And if he were a Democrat, he would have been roundly critized as “a defeatist, an appeaser, a terrorist-coddler” before the elections, right? Hm. Maybe that’s why Bush fired him. Or not. (hat tip: Jake Tapper)

“Corruption: the ’second insurgency’ costing $4bn a year”, by Julian Borger and David Pallister (The Guardian)
One third of rebuilding contracts in Iraq are under criminal investigation!!! I, for one, am glad that we cleaned House (and Senate) in 2006 in the U.S. Now let’s make sure the Democrats use their freaking powers of oversight!

Do you want the media to do a better job of covering the issues you care about? Do you miss quality journalism? Are you concerned that the ginormous media conglomerates fail to provide the diverse and independent viewpoints you need? If so, then you’re lucky to live in here because the FCC has announced the date and location of their second official public hearing on media ownership issues – Monday, December 11 in Nashville, Tennessee. This is historic! This is huge! This meeting in Nashville is one of only six official meetings on the topic.

FCC Hearing
Date: Monday, December 11
Time: 1pm
Location: Massey Performing Arts Center
Belmont University
1900 Belmont Blvd
Nashville, TN
Belmont Campus Map and Directions

There will be two panels, each followed by a period for public comment. The first panel will examine issues affecting the music recording industry. The second panel will provide an overview of the Nashville market and issues affecting broadcasters and independent programmers.

The hearing format will enable members of the public to participate via “open microphone.”

Free Local Workshops:
Prepare your testimony to present at the hearing.
Free and open to the public.

Wednesday, Dec. 6th, 7p.m.
Film Screening: Before the Music Dies
The Belcourt Theatre
2102 Belcourt Avenue
Contact: Hannah Sassaman: 267-970-4007

Thursday, Dec. 7th, 7:30p.m.
Nashville Peace and Justice Center
1016 18th Ave S
Contact: Amanda Ballantyne: 612-849-0195

Saturday, Dec. 9th, 2p.m.
Nashville Peace and Justice Center
1016 18th Ave S
Contact: Amanda Ballantyne: 612-849-0195

April Glaser and Hannah Sassaman of the Prometheus Radio Project came by the show to discuss this incredibly important hearing and how you can be a part of it – including info about workshops to help you prepare testimony. Don’t shut up, testify! Listen to: Interview with April Glaser and Hannah Sassaman (18:18 16.8MB)

More Info at StopBigMedia.com

Summary: We’re not even to day 1, and the Democrats are going to have to throw out the promise keeper t-shirts they bought. Also, a new academic study reveals “a direct link between mental illness and support for President Bush.” Plus, Barack Obama has a dirty little secret; Jesse Jackson has no idea when to fold’em; The Christians, just like the Republicans, have some trouble with this whole big tent thing; And we know that meaningful immigration reform is needed. Can the Reverend T.J. Graham learn to discuss without fearmongering?

Listen to: Senator Borat Hussein Osama (33:49 15.5MB)