Be The Media

Up next was FCC commissioner Jonathan Adelstein, who got a standing ovation just for walking on stage. He waxed nostalgic about Bill Moyer's keynote speech at the first media reform conference in Madison, WI. Adelstein gave what can honestly be called an impassioned plea to fight the most "pernicious" elements polluting our news media: video news releases, product placement, and all kinds of lack of disclosure for advertising. "VNRs masquerade as news," he said, "squeezing out local concerns." It is an issue uniting "right, left and middle." Referring to the Thursday's Senate hearing before the Commerce committee on the Truth in Broadcasting Act, Adelstein said that government propaganda is now getting the treatment it deserves. But citizens have to keep the corporate media accountable, he said, then called on people to record anything they see on TV that looks like a VNR and see if there was any disclosure that it was footage provided to the station. If not, it may be a violation of current regulations. Adelstein called on people to send formal complaints to the FCC, making sure that he gets a copy. "Because we'll get it to be investigated," he said. "You need to be doing the monitoring. We need to shut down this fraud being perpetrated on the American public. You need to do it."

FCC commissioner Michael Copps, also getting a standing ovation for walking on stage, said this is a "weekend America can be proud of." Copps vowed to work against piecemeal rule making by the FCC, heavily influenced by corporations and hidden from the public view, which would destroy media's ability to serve the people. Is media reform winnable? "Damn right" it is, he said. "If we roll up our sleeves, all of us, we can settle this issue of who controls the airwaves."

Franken returned to the stage, riffing on being an old disconnected white guy and not understanding what it is that Davey D does. Fortunately, it was a brief introduction, and Davey D took the mic.

"We can no longer afford to treat media as passive spectator sport. We have to be interactive," he said. "We need to hold the decision makers of broadcast media accountable."

"We have to inform creatively and intelligently others on this issue," he continued. Davey D ran through several local campaigns actively challenging broadcasters on their decision on what goes on the air. Because it is a 40- or 50-year-old guy making the decision that it is okay for announcers to use the "n-word" and the "b-word" and other "nonsense," he said. "Communicate with each other, network, use each other's resources and recognize each other's strengths," he said. "And by next year's conference, make sure things have changed for the better." Davey D. brought the house down, receiving enthusiastic applause.

Nichols got on stage and proclaimed that the 2500 people attending the conference - representing the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico - were with "Davey D and your struggle." Then he actually brought a tear to my eye (because I'm easily moved by these types of things) when he listed all the cities that were hearing the program, being aired live by Pacifica.

Then, the entertainment part of the show, but to call Patti Smith an entertainer, does not do her justice. She's so much more. Her performance was great.

When Franken returned (again), he thanked the close captioner. This was the funniest routine of the night: an odd exchange between him and the woman typing what he was saying (adding her own comments, which he had to read on the big screen). Really, she got all the good laughs.

Jim Hightower, with his big white cowboy hat, followed Patti Smith. The man radiated humility and righteous indignation, delivered with smooth Texas charm and such coolly colorful and poetic phrases. But he spoke too swiftly for me to quite capture them. I did catch this: "Using the feather is erotic, but using the whole chicken is kinky." I'm sorry, though, because I did not get the context.

"My message to you tonight - I'm sure you're wondering - is that this is a big time for us," he said. "You are on the right path of challenging the great media combines. ... The majority of Americans are on your side. ... Not just the bean sprout eaters, but those snuff dippers too."

Al Franken returned once more to the stage and assured the audience that his fellow Minnesotan's have as many "color aphorism" as Texans, introducing NOW's Kim Grandy as a "real nice lady." Grandy talked about NOW's commitment to media reform and its importance. By now, my brain is tired and I'm having trouble picking out the important stuff. But she does make a joke that "women can't get equal pay and they can't even get equal payola," referring to the amount of money Armstrong Williams received from the Department of Education to Maggie Gallagher's payments from the Department of Health and Human Services. The lack of media diversity impacts everything we do, she said. "Put media diversity on your group's agenda [whatever it is]."

Grandy introduced California representative Diane Watson. There is a growing consensus that "media is the issue," she said. Watson represents Hollywood, located in the 33rd Congressional district, perhaps the most diverse district in the United States. American culture account for 40 percent of U.S. exports, she said. "Our nation's creative voices inform and shape our understanding of the world," she said. But they are "under siege" by consolidation, lack of consumer choices and exclusion from regulatory decisions.

Looking at George W. Bush's press conference two weeks ago, CBS initially decided to air "Survivor" instead of the press conference on its main channel, but would carry it on its digital TV network, radio network and over the internet, she said. After negotiations, CBS did agree to carry it on its main network channel, but only if the time was changed by a half hour. And the press conference coverage was cut short.

"The real questioned that must be asked: do Americans have a real choice in receiving the programs they desire?" How can voices free from commercial interests get to Americans? she asked. "If the president can't get full coverage on TV, how can [others] expect to be seen and heard so that the public can make an informed choice?" she asked.

I stepped out to edit the post thus far. When I come back in, Phil Donahue was introducing the "Big Media Hall of Shame" A pre-produced video presentation briefly profiled the nominees: Lowry Mays, Michael Powell, Rupert Murdoch, Ed Rendell, and Dave Smith. "And the winner is ... Rupert Murdoch." The announcement is followed by a full round of "booos." Amy Goodman accepts the award on behalf of Murdoch.

And then I left the hall to post this post. But low and behold, THERE IS NO WI-FI ON SATURDAY NIGHT. By now, a familiar problem. I look forward to the day of community wi-fi. May it be 1 hundred million times better than this "millennial" hotel.