Live from the SCL: Community speakers
Commissioners Copps and Adelstein are now taking notes and listening to a number of speakers who represent community interests.
(Broadband users, watch the live stream here). Here is the list of individuals who spoke at the hearing and their affiliation:
Some of the important points made by the speakers:
(Broadband users, watch the live stream here). Here is the list of individuals who spoke at the hearing and their affiliation:
- Jean Godden, Seattle City Council
- John Carlson, KVI talk show host and founder of WA Policy Center
- Mike Fancher, the Seattle Times
- Robert Jeffery, Colors NW
- Mark Emmert, President, University of Washington
- Diane Lachel, Tacoma Power's Click Network
- John Sandifier, AFTRA
- Joel Kelsey, Consumers Union
- Mai Nguyen, Minority Executive Directors Association
- David Groves, WA State Labor Council
- Kathy Gill, UW Department of Communication
Some of the important points made by the speakers:
- Family owned media companies are in danger of being gobbled up if big corporations get the rules that they want from the FCC
- It's not possible to have world-class educational institutions unless there is a free flow of ideas. Media consolidation hampers the free flow of ideas.
- Open debate is crucial and it doesn't happen unless the press is free and independent. Democracy and diversity of opinion depends on a diverse media and decentralized ownership.
- The local news isn't truly "local" when a small number of companies and their stations have control over a huge market.
- Greedy telephone and cable providers want to be the media gatekeepers, with ownership of the means of delivery and the ability to decide what content should get priority.
- Too much media is "absentee owned" by big national or international conglomerates who dictate broadcast programming from afar.
- Newspapers should continue to be prohibited from gobbling up TV stations and creating media monopolies controlled by own parent company.
- Coverage of labor issues and matters important to union members has suffered thanks to extreme media consolidation and corporate control
- The current owners of media outlets appear to be more concerned about satisfying their advertisers and shareholders instead of practicing responsible journalism
- Preserving net neutrality and resisting network discrimination is a matter of serious consequence. The marketplace of ideas is what is at stake.