War of Words: The Assault on the First Amendment
Yesterday in Washington DC, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) "Advisory Committee on Diversity for Communications in the Digital Age" open the most unabashed assault on the First Amendment since the days of Woodrow Wilson. Composed of a veritable Who’s Who of liberal, minority and woman’s group representatives, this stacked deck will hold the fate of Conservative Talk Radio, Fox News and even the Internet in their hands.
Under liberal Acting Chairman Michael Copps, the rest of the committee are:
Henry Rivera, Emma Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media (Chairperson)
Raul Alarcon, Jr., Spanish Broadcasting System
Jenny Alonzo, Mio.TV
James M. Assey, Jr., National Cable and Telecommunications Association
Geoffrey C. Blackwell, Chickasaw Nation Industries, Inc.
Matthew Blank, Showtime Networks
Maria E. Brennan, American Women in Radio and Television
Kathy Brown, Verizon
Toni Cook Bush, Virgin Mobile
Alan B. Davidson, Google, Inc.
Ralph de la Vega, AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets
Steve Hillard, Council Tree Communications
David Honig, Minority Media and Telecommunications Council
Rodney
Hood, National Credit Union Administration
Ronald Johnson, Ronson Network Services
Debra Lee, BET Holdings, Inc.
Jane Mago, National Association of Broadcasters
Robert Mendez, ABC Television Network
Marc H. Morial, National Urban League
Karen K. Narasaki, Asian American Justice Center
Melissa Newman, Qwest
Jake Oliver, Afro-American Newspapers
Susan K. Patrick, Patrick Communications
Lisa Pickrum, The RLJ Companies
Rey Ramsey, One Economy Corporation
Michael V. Roberts, Roberts Broadcasting Companies LLC
Andrew Schwartzman, Media Access Project
Anita Stephens Graham, Opportunity Capital Partners
Diane Sutter, Shooting Star Broadcasting
Charles Warfield, Inner City Broadcasting
James Winston, National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters
Conspicuously abscent are any representatives from Conservative groups.
In a report from Director of Communications of the Media Research center Seton
Motley who attended the initial meeting, he reported Chairman Copp’s opening
statement insisted the meeting was nothing to do with the Fairness Doctrine.
The meeting then went on to announce the FCC auction of 700 MHZ Broadband licenses and that few were purchased by minorities or women. A representative of Commissioner Adelstein termed the results ‘Unconscionable!". There was a suggestion of caps or set-asides be considered, and an unquestioned reaffirmantion of the Liberal maxim, "Diversity is our strength." Looking at the composition of this committee, it appears to be a local truism.
When Commissioner Robert McDowell arrived and addressed the committee, he noted the lack of political philosophy diversity, he suggested anyone who feels unrepresented on this committee should contact him to be considered for inclusion. His contact informantion is :
Commissioner McDowell’s Contact Information
Room: 8-C302 • Phone: 202.418.2200 • E-mail
What followed was discussions of access to lending for those less than normally
acceptable to be able to enter the radio and Internet market. Is anyone surprised a group of this composition would be working toward a version of "The Community Reinvestment Act" to suit their purposes and will anyone be surprised when these uckly station owners come back for a bail out when their stations follows the fate of liberal talk Radio America.
There will be more meetings and I will undertake to publish articles here because what is transpiring in this committee is a shamefull attack on the few Conservative news outlets and the power of the president is behind this move.