Democratic Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Copps sits on a Republican-dominated panel. The conservative panel is steering the nation toward ever-greater media concentration and less programming diversity. Bob talks with Commissioner Copps about the frustration he feels regarding the deregulatory bent of the current FCC.
Last summer, the Securities and Exchange Commission approved rules requiring broadcasters airing the opinion of securities analysts to also disclose any business interests that the analysts or their firms might have in the stocks being discussed. Now, the SEC is poised to approve a similar rule for the print media. Adam Lashinsky, a columnist for Fortune Magazine, believes the rule acts as a gag order, limiting freedom of press. He speaks with Bob.
This month, Anchor Books released an anthology that may well be one of a kind: Best Business Crime Writing of the Year. And what a year it was-Enron, Imclone, Worldcom, Adelphi…the list goes on. OTM has discussed how and why much of the business press has failed to report on the disasters in progress, but there's been a great deal of gripping and clarifying coverage after the fact, according to James Suroweicki.
Bob and Brooke give listeners the update on our spring segment about the War Crimes Tribunal's subpoena of a journalist.
Earlier this month, Black Entertainment Television (BET) announced that it would be canceling three of its news programs. Many were upset by the decision, saying that the cable channel was abandoning an important news space for African American viewers. Bob speaks with University of Pennsylvania Professor Michael Eric Dyson about whether BET is, in fact, shifting away from a responsibility, or just making a good programming decision.
Until the spring of 2002, Hot 97 was the only hip hop radio station in New York City. That changed when radio giant Clear Channel launched a hip hop station of its own: Power 105.1. Now the stations are duking it out for dominance of a market that is worth millions in advertising revenues. Who will win the hip hop radio wars? On the Media's Allison Keyes has the story.
As part of his economic team shakeup this week, President Bush recruited three more corporate chieftains into his administration. The appointments underscore the increasing intersections between business and government--but it's a phenomenon that the press has been behind the curve in covering. On The Media's John Solomon reports.
Instrumental rock 'n' roll - the genre that once made many a beach party spectacular in the '50s and '60s - today is relegated to a few artists that hope to succeed despite having no chance of cracking the top 40 radio scene. Luckily, OTM has a correspondent who specializes in dying music styles: Rex Doane reports on the disappearing instrumental rock single.
Highlights from Past Shows
The day before Thanksgiving, Henry Kissinger was appointed by President Bush to lead an investigation into possible intelligence failures leading up to the events of September 11th 2001. On the Media checks in with Scott Armstrong, Washington journalist and founder of the National Security Archive about media coverage, or lack thereof - of the controversial appointment.
On the Media checks in with our regular correspondent, Martin Walker, to talk about the recently completed NATO conference and to discuss how the world press covered it.
On the Media is funded by The Bydale Foundation, The Ford Foundation, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the Overbrook Foundation.
