VASTER AND MORE WASTED LAND :

FCC chairman: Consolidation hasn't inhibited variety, fairness (Mark Jurkowitz, 4/17/2002, Boston Globe)

Discussing concerns that the proliferation of media giants can stifle the diversity of ideas, [Michael] Powell said, ''What really is the Disney [or Rupert Murdoch] viewpoint that comes through on their programming? The `Citizen Kane' anxiety ... could be genuine in some instances. But it is very difficult to discern what exactly are these viewpoints that are eking through that we're worried about. ... I think to the average consumer this is too sublime a concept for a lot of them to be agitated by.''

''The one point that is probably a fair criticism is that their viewpoint is to make money,'' he added. ''And I'm not so sure that their personal political interests are ever permitted by the board of directors or Wall Street to trump anything that would maximize value.

''The old-time newspaper guy who might have sacrificed some profit to take a sharp viewpoint is certainly something that gets washed down in corporate America because the common denominator is the dollar. ... I think that leads to the biggest problem with televison being blandness, not bias.''

We do still own the airwaves, right? Why not require these people to do some more public service stuff, especially political and civic event coverage? And how about a sex, violence, and profanity code? If the public owns the airwaves, let's make sure they serve the public interest. Posted by Orrin Judd at April 29, 2002 8:34 AM