The End of Ron Burgundy? FCC Kills Local Newsroom Requirement

[Belsnickel]

I know some have said they really only watch local news, but I'm guessing there is a higher rate of local news consumers here than the average population. So I'm curious what the take is on this from everyone. I'm only quoting a snippet from it, there is more information at the link.

http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2017/10/FCC-local-news-requirement/142029/

Quote:Over the last six months, the Federal Communications Commission has eliminated requirements that have kept local news broadcasting a mainstay of local television, culminating with a vote on Tuesday that removed a requirement for local broadcasters to maintain newsrooms in the communities they serve. The outcome will likely be the elimination of many American communities’ primary lens for understanding the impact of local politics and policies, as well as a primary source of guidance when emergencies occur.

Until today, the so-called “main studio rule” required “each AM, FM, and television broadcast station to maintain a main studio located in or near its community of license … to ensure stations would be accessible and responsive to their communities,” according to the FCC. In Tuesday’s 3-to-2 party line vote, the FCC chose to eliminate that rule two years shy of its 80th birthday.

Without the main studio rule, national corporations that own most local television broadcast stations—NBC Universal, Tribune Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group—can eliminate the overhead costs of a local studio and produce programming out of their main offices in New York, Chicago, and the Baltimore suburbs, respectively.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

Trump's FCC has been F'ing garbage. This is going to lead to a handful of mega-news stations.

Don't even get me started on their attempting to get rid of Net Neutrality, and their already getting rid of the data privacy.

[GMDino]

(11-02-2017, 04:07 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I know some have said they really only watch local news, but I'm guessing there is a higher rate of local news consumers here than the average population. So I'm curious what the take is on this from everyone. I'm only quoting a snippet from it, there is more information at the link.

http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2017/10/FCC-local-news-requirement/142029/

It's the continuation of destroying local media and the allowing of fewer and fewer sources for information.

Started in the 80's and is ruining the medium.

I got out of radio in 1995...even then satellite fed radio was multiplying (mostly AM side).  Then as the buyouts progressed the stations all moved to centralized locations nowhere near the towns they served.  

But all of this is just so Sinclaire can take over more and more.

Pisses me off.

[Benton]

(11-02-2017, 04:14 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Trump's FCC has been F'ing garbage. This is going to lead to a handful of mega-news stations.

Don't even get me started on their attempting to get rid of Net Neutrality, and their already getting rid of the data privacy.

Pretty much my thoughts. For a guy who rails on media, every step he’s taken had helped consolidate power among a few companies.

[NATI BENGALS]

Wow. Lame.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

Removing government regulation is good for corporate America. Trump is just doing to the FCC what he is doing to the EPA. I just think it is funny people get more upset about the Internet than the environment.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-03-2017, 01:37 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Removing government regulation is good for corporate America. Trump is just doing to the FCC what he is doing to the EPA. I just think it is funny people get more upset about the Internet than the environment.

Because water being polluted in Baltimore (just an example) effects like 2% of the country. The Internet being changed effects like 99% of the country. Things thay directly effect someone will always be more important than things that either don't or may not.

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-03-2017, 02:11 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Because water being polluted in Baltimore (just an example) effects like 2% of the country. The Internet being changed effects like 99% of the country. Things thay directly effect someone will always be more important than things that either don't or may not.

Clean drinking water for Detroit is more important than 99% of Detroit going without internet porn.

You can substitute any location you prefer.

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-03-2017, 02:48 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: Clean drinking water for Detroit is more important than 99% of Detroit going without internet porn.

You can substitute any location you prefer.

But is isn't about 99% of Detroit going without Internet porn. It is about 99% of the entire country going without Internet porn.

That's my point, it is a matter of scale that causes the difference in reaction. If someone on the other side of the country who you don't know gets shot and killed, but you get burgled and lose your TV and couch, which do you think pretty much everyone will care more about? 

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-03-2017, 03:08 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: But is isn't about 99% of Detroit going without Internet porn. It is about 99% of the entire country going without Internet porn.

That's my point, it is a matter of scale that causes the difference in reaction. If someone on the other side of the country who you don't know gets shot and killed, but you get burgled and lose your TV and couch, which do you think pretty much everyone will care more about? 

100% of the country needs clean drinking water more than the Internet.

[BengalHawk62]

(11-02-2017, 04:24 PM)GMDino Wrote: It's the continuation of destroying local media and the allowing of fewer and fewer sources for information.

Started in the 80's and is ruining the medium.

I got out of radio in 1995...even then satellite fed radio was multiplying (mostly AM side).  Then as the buyouts progressed the stations all moved to centralized locations nowhere near the towns they served.  

But all of this is just so Sinclaire can take over more and more.

Pisses me off.

Doesn't Sinclaire already own 95% of the local media?  Can they bust Sinclaire up?

[Belsnickel]

(11-03-2017, 03:21 PM)BengalHawk62 Wrote: Doesn't Sinclaire already own 95% of the local media?  Can they bust Sinclaire up?

They can. They won't.

[GMDino]

(11-03-2017, 03:21 PM)BengalHawk62 Wrote: Doesn't Sinclaire already own 95% of the local media?  Can they bust Sinclaire up?

The way I've been reading it they are starting to expand nationally and most of the rules changes have been made to allow that to happen.

But they won't bust it up. 

[*TheLeonardLeap*]

(11-03-2017, 03:18 PM)oncemoreuntothejimbreech Wrote: 100% of the country needs clean drinking water more than the Internet.

Debatable.

I can buy bottled water anywhere. I don't even know where I could go to buy physical porn anymore. Lol

[BengalHawk62]

(11-03-2017, 03:27 PM)GMDino Wrote: The way I've been reading it they are starting to expand nationally and most of the rules changes have been made to allow that to happen.

But they won't bust it up. 

Let me guess.....the owners of Sinclair and Trump have been business partners or lovers for a long time?  Sinclair donated millions to the Trump campaign?

[oncemoreuntothejimbreech]

(11-03-2017, 03:28 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Debatable.

I can buy bottled water anywhere. I don't even know where I could go to buy physical porn anymore. Lol

25% of bottled water is tap water

[Benton]

(11-03-2017, 02:11 PM)TheLeonardLeap Wrote: Because water being polluted in Baltimore (just an example) effects like 2% of the country. The Internet being changed effects like 99% of the country. Things thay directly effect someone will always be more important than things that either don't or may not.

http://www.courier-journal.com/story/tech/science/environment/2015/03/11/ohio-river-panel-ease-mercury-requirements/70153174/

And there are other examples of why water polluted in the northeast creates problems in other areas. Back in the 70s/80s the Ohio was so bad some towns along the path had polluted water tables even if they weren't directly using river water. My parents lived in one of those towns when they first got married. The city handed out "water purification tablets" to everyone because if you washed your clothes with city water, it would turn them brown. The tablets were mostly just bleach.

And that's just industrial concerns. Nitrates and fecal matter from house boats and homes cause health problems down river, too.

I'm for much reduced government, but unfortunately the EPA is one thing that actually needs to exist, as one or two states with lax laws can wreck industry or quality of life hundreds of miles away.

[Millhouse]

Anything to help out corporate America since us little people dont mean squat to the Billionaire Executive.

[JustWinBaby]

(11-03-2017, 03:27 PM)GMDino Wrote: The way I've been reading it they are starting to expand nationally and most of the rules changes have been made to allow that to happen.

But they won't bust it up. 

Well, they were already the 2nd largest tv station operator before Trump was elected.  They are, however, trying to buy Tribune Media Company, which is another major player in major markets.

I don't think there's been a whole lot of progress on mega mergers, well basically ever.  It's still fairly rare to see a deal scuttled over regulatory approval.  Part of the problem is the tests for monopoly power have become quite liberal to include subsitutes/competing technologies (for example, Netflix and Hulu could be considered in calculations of share for cable operators).

It seems these things are a bit cyclical.  The 80's were the decade of empire building and mega deals....and the resulting waste and inefficiency virtually created the Private Equity industry where companies started getting carved-up to unlock value.

[Dill]

(11-02-2017, 04:07 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: I know some have said they really only watch local news, but I'm guessing there is a higher rate of local news consumers here than the average population. So I'm curious what the take is on this from everyone. I'm only quoting a snippet from it, there is more information at the link.

http://www.routefifty.com/tech-data/2017/10/FCC-local-news-requirement/142029/

Sinclair. Oh dear.