Dubya ventures to the Midwest to hype the jobless recovery in Kansas City, site of 10,000 recent telecom layoffs. Perhaps he’d do better to sell his tax writeoff plan for the wealthy to a swing state it’s actually helped…that is, if he can find one. (In almost completely unrelated news, Doglover Dubya, via High Industrial.)
Tag: Telecom
Ashcroft Agonizes, Powell Punts.
Looks like it’s a bad day for imperious Dubya appointees. In the wake of Congress’s recent decision to limit the powers of the Patriot Act, a defiant Ashcroft wants his toys back. Also facing considerable bipartisan and public criticism, Michael Powell appoints a task force on media consolidation. As Copps notes in the article, next time perhaps it’d be better to do the fact-finding before you vote.
Media Blackout.
The networks stay mum on media consolidation as the Powell FCC prepares to lift cross-ownership caps in local and regional markets. Not surprisingly, it looks like the FCC vote will be party-line, with the three Republicans voting as a bloc to facilitate Rupert Murdoch’s ambitions and enlist free-market ideology in order to kill free-thinking media outlets. We’ll always have the web, I guess.
Outflanked.
Trouble at the Commish – Much to the chagrin of FCC Chairman Michael Powell, former Bush official and relatively new Commissioner Kevin Martin plays dealmaker in what amounts to a chaotic compromise on deregulation of the Baby Bells.
The Wheels Come Off.
FCC Chairman Powell prepares to gut the limits on broadcast ownership, meaning everything will soon be brought to you by AOL-TW, Viacom, and Rupert Murdoch. Bad call…reinstituting monopolies isn’t going to solve the crisis in telecom.
Fortunate Son.
In the wake of WorldCom, industry experts doubt FCC Chairman Michael Powell’s ability and desire to put the brakes on the telecom meltdown.