(See related pages)
|
|
|
| "Remarks of Commissioner Michael J. Copps: FCC Hearings on Media Ownership, Los Angeles, California, October 3, 2006." Michael J. Copps.Location: 1) Go to the following URL: http://www.fcc.gov/ownership/hearing-california100306.html 2) Under the "Related Documents" section, click on the link called "Copps Statement." 3) Select either Microsoft Word or PDF format to view or download. Pre-reading Question1) How many—if any—locally-owned newspapers and TV and radio shows, including news programs, are in your area? If you are aware of any and are familiar with them, can you think of ways in which they differ from national papers and programming? Do they offer anything that the national papers and shows don't give you? Journal Topics1) Do you think certain language or images should not be allowed to air on television? If so, what are some examples? How far should the government go to regulate offensive matter? Is it enough to imply suggest that viewers avoid material they find offensive and let other people choose for themselves? Questions for Critical Thought1) Copps suggests that media is "the country's most powerful sector." Are the media really more important and powerful than power and oil companies or even the government and the military? In what ways? 2) According to the article, the airwaves "belong to you and me and every person in this country, not to any corporation or conglomerate. We allow broadcasters to use the airwaves—for free—in return for offering programs that serve the public interest." Do you think the public interest is being served under the current system of media ownership? What would be an ideal situation? Personal Research1) The FCC is an important branch of the government. Do some research on its recent history. Some questions you could answer include the following: Who is currently in charge of the FCC? What are these people's backgrounds? How did they become commissioners/chairs? How long do they serve? What major rulings have they made in recent years? 2) Do some research on your local television stations, radio stations, and newspapers. Who owns them? The odds are that they are owned by large corporations, but find out if any of them are locally owned. Have any major changes, hirings, or firings occurred since they were purchased by larger corporations? Multicultural Issues1) In America, the airwaves belong to the people and are regulated by the federal government with the people's interests in mind. If you are from a different country, who owns the airwaves there—the government, the people, or corporate interests? 2) Commissioner Copps argues that media is the most powerful sector in America. What do you think the most powerful sector is in your original country? You could think about the government, military, oil companies, the church, and the media, among others. Vocabulary Termsenterprise aspirations eviscerated distort caricature Terms for ClarificationMichael Powell. The chairman of the FCC from 2001 through 2005. The son of ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell, he allowed much deregulation of laws governing media and airwave ownership under his tenure. |