Collected and Edited by Rick Kaempfer
Highlights and links to the big stories in the news this week about the media. This column appears twice a week at MEDIA NOTEBOOK
Obama to fight media mergers(Bloomberg) Hallelujah! "President-elect Barack Obama will try to use his office to hinder media concentration and to increase local TV news coverage, objectives that have stirred resistance from industry groups. The Illinois Democrat, who will succeed George W. Bush on Jan. 20, `is going to push for a more open, more diverse media,' Gloria Tristani, a former Democratic member of the Federal Communications Commission, said in an interview."
Why even Rush Limbaugh shouldn't fear the Fairness Doctrine
(Huffington Post) A liberal writer at a liberal website with an essay that should calm all conservatives. He's right on the money. "The Fairness Doctrine was a longstanding, if seldom enforced, regulation that required broadcasters using the public airwaves to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial issues. It was taken off the books by the Reagan administration in 1987 -- a move that is often credited/criticized for sparking the rise of right-wing radio. Now it seems that anytime the GOP dips in the polls, up pops news of a secret plot to "drive political talk radio off the dial," to quote the Post. It's red meat for the right-wing base. But here's the truth: The Fairness Doctrine is never, ever coming back. And that's a good thing."
A star is reborn(New York Observer) Felix Gillette writes: "Not long ago, the suggestion was put about that time was not on Ms. Couric’s side at CBS. According to various news reports back in April, CBS, disappointed with her performance but unwilling to pay the ghastly sum the premature termination of her contract would entail, was letting her run out the clock and then planning to cut her loose. Or it was she, frustrated with the network’s handling of her and her show, who was planning to cut the cord at the earliest possible moment. But against the odds—she wasn’t allowed the opportunity, for instance, to anchor a single presidential or vice presidential debate for CBS—Ms. Couric has used the 2008 presidential elections to make herself a commodity again. Not the too expensive piece of furniture the Tiffany network had bought and regretted, but the game-changing political journalist she aspired to be when she first took the Evening News. Hers was the most memorable interview of the 2008 election. Über political blogger Mark Halperin named her one of the five most important people in politics not running for president."
How to waste time online now that the election is over
(Slate) I was going to write this column before Farhad Manjoo beat me to it..."The election's over, and you're bored. You're not really elated that your guy won or dismayed that he got crushed—really, you just wish you knew what to do with yourself. Over the last few months, you've spent hours each day poring over polls and reading every pundit. Now all that is done, and the Web seems so ... empty. Politico is full of stories about the transition team and RealClearPolitics is focused on 2012, but it's just not the same. I'm here to help because I'm pretty much in the same boat. Now that the election's over, I've got several spare hours a day."
CLICK HEREFCC Expands Use of Airwaves
(Washington Post) Cecilia Kang writes: "Preachers on the pulpit, Guns N' Roses and others who fear their wireless microphones would be disrupted by widespread public access to certain unused airwaves were drowned out by high-tech titans Google and Microsoft in a federal ruling yesterday. The Federal Communications Commission approved a plan that would allow those airwaves, called white spaces, to be used by gadgets such as cellphones and laptops connected to the Internet once that spectrum becomes available after the national transition from analog to digital television in February."
Supreme Court debates expletives
(Chicago Tribune) Tell me this doesn't sound like an SNL skit. Jerry Markon writes: "It's not every day that a top lawyer for the Bush administration, standing before the black-robed justices of the Supreme Court, invokes the specter of "Big Bird dropping the F-bomb on Sesame Street." Justices on Tuesday heard arguments on a new government policy that can punish television networks for a one-time, or "fleeting" expletive, as opposed to a stream of profanities. The case came about after singer Cher dismissed her critics with an expletive during a live 2002 awards show, and celebrity Nicole Richie used some in 2003. The argument began with the typically sober discussion of weighty legal issues. But the lawyers were soon jumping through verbal hoops to avoid saying the words at issue, trying everything from "these words" to expletives, swearing, the F-word, the F-bomb and "freaking." Chief Justice John Roberts debated with a lawyer for Fox network, which aired the Cher and Richie remarks, whether such words inherently denote offensive "sexual or excretory activities" — the definition the Federal Communications Commission's used to cite Fox for broadcasting indecent material. Roberts asked, "Why do you think the F-word has" such power? "... Because it's associated with sexual or excretory activity. That's what gives it its force."
Obama’s win won’t immediately change the FCC
(Radio-info.com) Tom Taylor writes: "Chairman Kevin Martin now shows signs of wanting to hang around longer than expected, and it could be a while before the new Democratic Administration gets its ducks in a row to nominate a new Chairman and new Commissioners (both Dem and GOP). Would Martin accept a demotion to just-plain-Commissioner, since his term’s not up yet? That’s almost never happened, historians tell me. And if Martin really does want to rev up a political run back in North Carolina (for Sue Myrick’s House seat in 2010?), he’d want to get going pretty soon. An Obama presidency might be interested in elevating Commissioner Jonathan Adelstein to Chairman, and he’d be a good consensus builder. If that happens, expect fellow Democrat Michael Copps to turn a deep shade of green - for jealousy. But Obama could well look for a fresh face to run the FCC, and if that’s his wish, Martin could be around the 8th floor for quite a while."
CLICK HERE
The Loop cuts loose two Chicago radio veterans
(Radio Online) When a station cuts loose real radio pros like Bill Klaproth and Tommy King, it's a sign that they aren't even trying anymore. Or, as the company puts it..."Emmis Radio said on Friday that it had "instituted a series of steps to better position it for success" with a 4% reduction in its workforce nationwide. 29 fulltime staffers and six parttimers were affected at its clusters in New York, Chicago, St. Louis and Indianapolis. The company also announced a 3% salary reduction for Emmis Radio and corporate employees earning more than $50,000. Last week, PD Bill Klaproth and marketing director Tommy King exited Classic Rock WLUP-FM (The Loop)/Chicago after ten years."
Chicago Radio Spotlight interview: Spike O'Dell(Chicago Radio Spotlight) Last weekend I spoke with WGN morning host Spike O'Dell. We talked about his upcoming retirement and looked back at his impressive 30-plus-year career in broadcasting. Coming this weekend: Mancow.
