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I know the answer, and I think you do, too.
THE ANSWER is that WE OWN THE AIRWAVES. The broadcast air waves, since the creation of radio, have been accepted as a matter of U.S. government policy as a publically-owned resource.
That's the reason why we have that Public Service requirement --- and public service assessments by the local folks, for ALL broadcast stations and networks. WE, the people, who are the true owners of the broadcast media's airwaves are supposed to evaluate and thus allow these large corporate entities to continue making the millions of dollars they do on things like Super Bowl commercials and paid political advertising. In exchange, they are supposed to donate FREE time to serve the public interest.
Do we monitor our national resource? Do the broadcasters do what they is supposed to do service our interests?
Hell, naw!
We let them rob us blind and dictate everything from what-we-now-call news to how many hours of entertainment (as opposed to game shows) we get to watch.
Now hear this: Most countries --- meaning lots of people all over the world --- mostly get American TV shows on their local airwaves BECAUSE EVERYTHANG AMERICAN IS SO DAMNED POPULAR and there are lots of places where they have chosen to get they TV, if not they radio, from SATELLITE DISHES --- which are dominated by the hundreds of channels pushing American TV into those households that can afford it around the globe.
Shit! Saddam Hussein watches CNN as much as you or me, Homeboys and -girls!
Is it any wonder, after giving way these exciting and fabulous media like radio and television that we are now primed to give up the damned Internet, too? I don't think so, Homes. We are becoming more sheeplike every single day as far as Homey can see.
And don't EVEN start with me about how America doesn't own the Internet. For all intents and purposes, no matter how much mealy-mouthin' goes on from The Usual Suspects, we all know America owns the world. Just ask some of them folks in the former-Yugoslavia if you have any doubts, at all. Ask some of them Iraqis still wishing for medicine and food to make it into they damned country.
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Everybody in the world knows this is the truth.
I thought about this even looking at the G21 over this past week. It's no secret that this here magazine, which I have always loved, is now going through a personality change. I do think things got better over the course of the week, thanks to some vitality in the RDR columns.
But when I first clicked on this site on Tuesday, my new day off, I have to tell ya'll I was wondering about some of the thangs I was seein'. We had started to sound like philosophers and fiction writers around here instead of World Shakers and on-the-ground folks raging against the machine.
I had to ask myself where I was.
I mean, the rag basically looked the same. The logo was sure still there. But I sure didn't see much of the LAUGHTER and the IRREVERENCE I used to remember. And where was the reporting?
Me, I've always been a commentator and not a reporter. But I look back a year ago and see G21 alumni appearing before Congress, I see coverage of elections abroad, I see interviews with people like Jerry Brown, Bernadette Devlin McCaliskey, Esther Dyson. Wassup G21?
This is what I meant about the media drifting away from THE PUBLIC INTEREST. The job of the press, I used to hear around here, was to report what was going on for people "on the ground," and not in the Ivory Tower. Average working folks.
I'ma going to hope that I am not watching another media outlet lose it's soul... 'Cause Homey don't play dat.
Peace Out!
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