Remember when the US government and other misguided folks used to scream about state-controlled media in other countries? Isn’t it a pity, they would say, that the government controls all the media. While we were pointing at China, the Soviet Union and other countries, corporate media was taking over the airwaves right under our noses.

Let me say – or remind you - that radio and television use publicly-owned airwaves. First amendment rights cover the speech of all people, not just those with the biggest bank accounts. We are the public. We must exercise our rights and make our concerns heard.

Last week, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) arrogantly moved against a public outcry to further consolidate media markets. A major decision was made regarding companies being able to own daily newspapers, newspapers or radio stations in the same market. Previously, that kind of concentration by one company was not just frowned upon, it was illegal. Corporate giants like Clear Channel and Rupert Murdock have been the beneficiaries of the FCC’s moves to “corporatize” the media.

Citizens have a last chance to overthrow the media cartel by appealing to your Congress representative. You can do this directly or you can go to websites such as StopBigMedia.com and sign the online petition. If we don’t stop these folks, public access and accountability will be a thing of the past.

Media monopolies have had some real friends at the FCC with Michael Powell and now Richard Martin. Powell, the son of Colin Powell, was nominated by you all’s “first black prez,” Bill Clinton. It was also under Clinton that the 1996 Telecommunications Act was passed that got rid of long-standing limits on how many media outlets one company could own. Between the repeal of the 1987 Fairness Doctrine, requiring equal time to contrary views and the 1996 Act, the consolidation of the media has been mind-blowing.

The most graphic example is Clear Channel. Prior to 1996 they owned 43 radio stations. After the flood gates were opened, they gobbled up a total of 1207. Now Clear Channel is clearly King of the Radio Ownership Hill.

Observers and media watchdogs such as Be the Media have accused Clear Channel of “destroying localism and diversity on the airwaves.” 

Media mogul, Rupert Murdock, doesn’t even try to hide his frothing-at-the-mouth brand of monopoly. Worldwide, Murdock already has 9 film companies, 12 television stations, 16 cable outlets, 19 news outlets (including the recently acquired The Wall Street Journal), one publishing company and several internet companies such as MySpace. In 1999, it was discovered that his Newscorps Investments had profits over the previous 11 years but had not paid its $350 million net corporation tax. The corporation's complex structure and offshore accounts have aided and abetted his tax avoidance. How un-American.

Earlier this year, Center for American Progress and Free Press joined forces to produce an insightful statistical report on talk radio, probably the first of its kind ever. Entitled The Structural Imbalance of Political Talk Radio, the report cites a dramatic 91% of talk radio is conservative while a puny 9% is progressive.

Talk radio has become the most dominating format in radio, a powerful beam into the psyche of the 50 million listeners it reaches each week. A daily diet of distorted news, multi-lateral bigotry and blind allegiance to satanic leadership is a fool proof way to get a nation of mindless “ditto heads.” 

To add insult to injury, these media piranhas are using us to help get them free news and eliminate paying credentialed journalists. It’s a type of outsourcing called crowd-sourcing. When you all are sending in your cell phone pics, blogging, uploading video on You Tube, etc., you are helping to change the face of news collection. But since you don’t have control of the process, what looks like a more democratic and participatory approach can never truly benefit the public.

Getting back to the public, the WE. If we are dissatisfied with a radio or TV company, we must file a complaint. Those complaints are reviewed when its time to renew the operation’s license.

You can also directly express your concerns about the way the FCC is advocating for corporate media and not citizens by going to its website. While holding these kingpins accountable, we must avidly support alternative, progressive media (like BlackCommentator.com!).

US citizens already get a thin slice of local, national and international news. A big chunk of that slice is portraying negative images and stereotypes about black and brown people. Now, the so-called news we get is being funneled through the ideological lens of the political and religious right.

I say, listeners and readers of the world, unite! Down with monopoly media!

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member Jamala Rogers is the leader of the Organization for Black Struggle in St. Louis and the Black Radical Congress National Organizer. Click here to contact Ms. Rogers.

Your comments are always welcome.