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With only weeks left until the FCC vote, those on both sides of the deregulation debate are furiously trying to win the hearts and minds of Congress and other key players. The result has been some last-minute bargaining and unlikely alliances. Cable World Senior Editor Alicia Mundy gives Bob a view from inside the Beltway.
What do you do when you're sued for libel in a foreign country that favors plaintiffs? How about this: Sue that country for its media-unfriendly laws! That's what Barron's reporter Bill Alpert did after he was called into court for allegedly defaming an Australian businessman who read his story online. Alpert has filed a claim against Australia at the U.N. Commission for Human Rights, and he tells Bob why.
Industry observers have been anticipating a relaxation of media ownership rules by the Feds. But a recent surprise vote by the newest commissioner in an unrelated issue has many wondering which way that commissioner will swing when it comes to media deregulation. Cable World's senior editor Alicia Mundy fills Bob in on the latest intrigues in the FCC.
With the FCC poised to scrap most of its media ownership limits, debate still rages about what the consequences of deregulation will be. It's clear that many of the big media outlets will get bigger, but what will that mean for the quality of TV news? A new study by the Project for Excellence in Journalism offers some answers. The PEJ's Amy Michell joins Bob to share some of the findings.
When a newsmaker takes a stand against an individual journalist based solely on where that journalist is from, should fellow journalists take a stand against the newsmaker? That question is fueling strong debate among foreign correspondents this week, after Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz refused to answer a question from an Israeli reporter at a news conference. OTM contributor Megan Williams reports.
Seeking prime airtime, the Anti-War Video Fund created a 30-second issue ad to be broadcast on CNN before and after the State of the Union address. Unfortunately for the activists, the ad did not air. It was rejected at the last minute by the mega cable company, Comcast. Outraged anti-war advocates are crying censorship. Alicia Mundy from Cableworld magazine returns this week to talk with Brooke about the controversy.
As the FCC prepares to review its rules for media ownership, the trustees of the media are increasingly finding themselves in the media spotlight. This past week FCC commissioners were on the defensive as critics of deregulation made their voices heard in Washington and New York. Brooke speaks with one of these critics, Jonathan Rintels, Executive Director for the Center for the Creative Community.
When activists mounted a media campaign to condemn Nike's labor practices, Nike used the media to respond. But the activists cried foul, and California's highest court agreed. Now, it's up to the U.S. Supreme Court to decide where free speech ends, and advertising begins. Brooke discusses the case and its implications with Harvard Law Professor Lawrence Tribe, who is defending Nike in court.
