Giant media monopolies hurt everyone.

• Author: Saltzman, Joe
• Position: Words & Images - Column

IN AN EPISODE OF "The West Wing," the fictional presidential press secretary decides to make a point about the monopolization of the news media. She says that from now on, only one representative from each corporate conglomerate will be able to attend White House press conferences. The allotted number of seats was seven. It was as telling a commentary on the news media today as ever seen on television--and it was all the more surprising since it was presented on a fictional TV drama.

The problem, though, is tar from fictional. Media ownership rules have been relaxed by the Federal Communications Commission to the point where a handful of international corporations control almost everything the American public reads, sees, and hears. Producer Steven Bochco, who created "Hill Street Blues" and "NYPD Blue," summed tip the situation in regard to censorship involving entertainment programs on network television: "We have divisions of giant companies who do staggering amounts of business with the government. Because of their size and responsibility to shareholders, they're prepared to accommodate anything rather than take on the government in ways that could cost money and damage their relationship with advertisers." Adds retired newscaster Walter Cronkite, "The gathering of more and more outlets under one owner clearly cast be an impediment to a free and independent press."

The issue of free speech and commentary on the public airwaves is one that conservatives and liberals, Republicans and Democrats, fear. Wayne LaPierre of the National Rifle Association states: "Tell every one the airwaves belong to the American people and the FCC's job is to protect the public interest--not big media barons who want a monopoly on public discourse.'" Moreover, says columnist William Satire, "The concentration of power--political, corporate, media, cultural--should be anathema to conservatives."

An illustration of the power of these massive corporations in control of the nation's media is the indecency crusade now taking place against any program on the public airwaves. The FCC, originally set up simply to organize and regulate the channels of communication, has taken upon itself--with a big assist from Congress--to become the nation's censor regarding moral issues, including language and nudity. Emboldened with congressional support during an election year, the FCC now is making noises about extending this iron hand over what we can see and hear on cable and...