Restore Democracy and Equalize Freedom

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

I have noticed that big media is largely silent on Citizens United. Guess that has to do with how much TV time is bought by the "friends" of various candidates. None of them even spend much time reporting on the media buys of either side. Guess their shareholders have told them not to cover it well lest the media lose great profits from the 501-c-4's.

[KeithE]

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

http://pacifica.org/

This is a small radio network, Pacifica, just five stations in LA, San Francisco, Houston, Washington and New York, but they are also on line. It is independent media, not dependent on advertising dollars, and therefore content is directed by motivation to report facts. They do an excellent job of that, though of course anything that is balanced or "fair" when it comes to media is perceived as a liberal bias. Pacifica generally rates pretty high with fact checkers. The stations raise their own support through listener membership and contributions, and provide a significant amount of locally based and volunteer programming. Even though they don't subscribe to ratings services (which are designed to puff the commercial stations) they have a pretty solid and growing following. When I lived in Houston, I had them on all the time. Now, I log on to their Washington, DC affiliate and listen online.

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

Pacifica stations air a lot of local community programming, but there are specific programs, most notably Democracy Now that does have political comment. That program airs on the five stations owned by Pacifica, as well as about 60 of its affiliates around the country, and has its own website. They also air independent news, not all political content, but from a non-commercial perspective. One of the programs that I particularly enjoyed on their Houston affiliate was an evening broadcast where they would allow family members of inmates at the numerous state penitentiaries and prison farms that surrounded the Houston area to call in and speak to their family members in prison, including those on death row.

The lawsuit was settled, having to do with their governing board. They've had other issues. When they went on the air in Texas, the station's transmitter tower was attacked. Democracy Now has drawn the ire of Rush Limbaugh on occasion, especially when its ratings have bested his in the markets where they go head to head.

[KeithE]

[Sandy]

Sometimes political content can be overwhelming. It's nice to have a little bit of jazz and blues, and some community programming, mixed in with the politics, especially when it is someone who is trying to be completely unbiased.

[KeithE]