I wonder how much of the new regulation mentioned would include Washington pressuring (censoring?) local stations not to air shows critical of the Administration and Administration-friendly companies (ie, campaign contributors)? Or is that being cynical?
Mark Lloyd, newly appointed Chief Diversity Officer of the Federal Communications Commission, has called for making private broadcasting companies pay licensing fees equal to their total operating costs to allow public broadcasting outlets to spend the same on their operations as the private companies do.
Lloyd presented the idea in his 2006 book, Prologue to a Farce: Communications and Democracy in America, published by the University of Illinois Press.
Lloyd’s hope is to dramatically upgrade and revamp the Corporation for Public Broadcasting through new funding drawn from private broadcasters.
The CPB is a non-profit entity that was created by Congress and that currently receives hundreds of millions of dollars in federal subsidies each year. In fiscal 2009, it is receiving an appropriation of $400 million.
“The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) must be reformed along democratic lines and funded on a substantial level,” Lloyd wrote in his book.
“Federal and regional broadcast operations and local stations should be funded at levels commensurate with or above those spending levels at which commercial operations are funded,” Lloyd wrote. “This funding should come from license fees charged to commercial broadcasters. Funding should not come from congressional appropriations. Sponsorship should be prohibited at all public broadcasters.”
Along with this money, Lloyd would regulate much of the programming on these stations to make sure they focused on “diverse views” and government activities.
“Local public broadcasters and regional and national communications operations should be required to encourage and broadcast diverse views and programs,” wrote Lloyd. “These programs should include coverage of all local, state and federal government meetings, as well as daily news and public issues programming.
On a vaguely unrelated topic, I’m thinking that a tad less than $18 million was used to create the FCC website.
#115, Loser,
If you and Alphie were among them, I would gladly sacrifice 10 strangers for my wife. Hell, toss in “‘dro” and “doill” and I won’t hesitate to help out with the sacrifice. Hell, I’d bring food for the crowd. It’s be like “Dinner and a Show”.
The only person who could contemplate making such an argument has never been married and has a very good chance of having been brought up in an orphanage. Simply because the concept of “family first” doesn’t occur to you.
*
In the “uncivilized” caveman days, it used to be :
Me against my brother.
My brother and I against our cousin.
Our family against the village.
Our village against the tribe.
Our tribe against the next tribe.
Our province against the next province.
Our country against the next country.
Now, for the health of the entire nation, who is more important, you or the nation as a whole?
If you notice, it doesn’t say anything about “for the sole betterment of Liberty Loser”. It is for “We, the people, … promote the General Welfare, …”.
Therefore, if in the wisdom of the people and as a nation, WE decide to build roads to unite the nation, then WE will build roads. If, as a nation, WE decide to put a man on the moon, then as a nation WE will put a man on the moon. If, as a nation, WE decide to provide a pension for our elderly then WE will provide a pension. [sarcasm] And if we as a nation decide to have a single payer system with mile long lines to a health clinic with only antiquated equipment and an elderly nurse (with hemorrhoids) deciding who gets treatment then WE will have mile long lines to a health clinic with antiquated equipment and an elderly nurse (with hemorrhoids) deciding who gets treatment. [/sarcasm]
And it will all be quite legal and Constitutional. So why not take your ten strangers and do whatever you and your ten strangers do.
Alphie,
Do everyone a favor and take you ball and go home.
This is sure to be a blog discussion for the ages. A match ‘tween Phydo & Alfred E Zero, with guest appearances be conFused.
I rather listen a Birtney CD.
#120 You are correct, my mistake…
Pedro owes me an apology, or he needs to prove I am a drone of the right:
Heck, you have more in common with Alfred1 than I. You’re a drone of the left as he’s a drone for the right.-#109
And I wasn’t “on your side”, I was agreeing with your point. I don’t know enough about you to be “on your side” and as you don’t want me there, I’ll respect your wishes.
I reserve the right to agree, or disagree, regardless of our relationship, or lack thereof.
#123 You allege I’m a drone…now prove it…or you are proving you parroted the smears of others, in a such a drone-like way it follows you are a drone.
dickhead
#122 Fusie…I choose to challenge dickheads like you…when I can spare the time, because you amuse me.
When it bores me to respond to you, I won’t.
#123, ‘dro, & #126 Alphie,
Fight between yourselves.
No one else cares.
Hey wingnuts, not everything the nation decides to do as a whole requires a Constitutional amendment. We didn’t need one to create the national interstate highway system. We don’t need one to create a system to give everyone decent healthcare. Funny how wingnuts claim everything the government does that they don’t like is “unconstitutional”.
And LibertyLover, I have no idea what your 10 strangers question has to do with anything. But I’ve met plenty of people like you. You want to enjoy all the stuff the government does that you like, but you don’t want to pay taxes to support the things you don’t like. But you don’t get to pick and choose, that’s not how the game is played. You don’t like the game, pick up your toys and go somewhere else. Mr. Fusion said it best in #121. It’s not all about you, believe it or not.
And pedro, I’ve met a lot of people like you to. People who bash Obama constantly, obvious right-wingers, who claim to have bashed Bush too back in the day. Riiiiiiiight. Theoretically possible, but highly unlikely. I never heard of any wingnuts bashing Bush, not once. He was your hero, and y’all don’t have the guts to admit it now that it has become clear what a disaster he was and how badly he damaged America.
Hey wingnuts, not everything the nation decides to do as a whole requires a Constitutional amendment. We didn’t need one to create the national interstate highway system. We don’t need one to create a system to give everyone decent healthcare. Funny how wingnuts claim everything the government does that they don’t like is “unconstitutional”.
And LibertyLover, I have no idea what your 10 strangers question has to do with anything. But I’ve met plenty of people like you. You want to enjoy all the stuff the government does that you like, but you don’t want to pay taxes to support the things you don’t like. But you don’t get to pick and choose, that’s not how the game is played. You don’t like the game, pick up your toys and go somewhere else. Mr. Fusion said it best in #121. It’s not all about you, believe it or not.
And pedro, I’ve met a lot of people like you to. People who bash Obama constantly, obvious right-wingers, who claim to have bashed Bush too back in the day. Riiiiiiiight. Theoretically possible, but highly unlikely. I never heard of any wingnuts bashing Bush, not once. He was your hero, and y’all don’t have the guts to admit it now that it has become clear what a disaster he was and how badly he damaged America.
#127 If you didn’t care, you would do as I do with Alfred0. Instead, you see yourself obligated to defend yourself from me. I’ll try my best not to show you reality, which makes you feel inadecuate.
#128 Delusional to the end. Everybody is out to get you. Defend yourself. Too bad you neither like guns nor the goverment is strong enough to protect you. I’ll see it that everytime you get out, you get at least 2 persons to defend you from all the wingnuts in the streets.
#130 pedro, pedro, pedro. non sequiturs won’t help you. who’s saying anyone’s out to get anyone? What are you talking about? You have no coherent response to what I say so you spew nonsense.
Where’s the popcorn? Moonbats barking at each other…they forgot Palin is still lout there.
#121, Making a joke out of the question doesn’t quite make the grade. Nice way to try and avoid answering the question, though. But, this isn’t about me. You called me selfish. I’m going to show that you are as well.
Now, back on subject — you’ve already said you would do anything to save her life. The question to you, which you haven’t answered, is WHY you would sacrifice 10 strangers for your wife?
And I will not go away on this until I’m either banned from this blog or you answer the question.
#128, And LibertyLover, I have no idea what your 10 strangers question has to do with anything.
Here is the scenario:
Your wife has some disease which only the $10,000 in your pocket can purchase the cure for. Just as you are about to take her to the hospital, 10 strangers come up and ask for that money because that same $10,000 would save their wives.
Would you give the money away and let your wife die or would tell them to take a hike?
It’s a simple question. What do you do?
Fusion has already said he would tell the strangers to take a hike (actually, he said he would do anything to save his wife) but he refuses to answer why.
This idea of non-private CPB sponsorship, sounds good. But it will never happen. But businesses depend too much on CPB as their propaganda arm. They’ve sponsored shows like “Nova” for years. All thru Allied Chemicals’ years of being sued, and its many name changes. They’ve made sure that Nova was always there to sing their praises. And deliver whatever gobbledygook science line, that help their bottom line. If CPB were to go bankrupt today. I’m sure big business would reinvent the network, and revive it overnight.
The only thing the private funding provides, is all the cooking shows, and britcoms.
#131 Well, you’re are. Do you ever read what you write? That’s classical expression from someone suffering from persecution syndrome. Your denial is just the icing on your dilusional cake.
#133 You just conFused him a bit more. You will have to wait longer for his reply for that. That is, if he replies at all (and by reply I mean a straight answer)
#134 LL I understand the question, just don’t see what it has to do with universal healthcare. Your wife and the ten strangers’ wives would all be covered under that scenario.
It’s far too late to play the rugged individualist in America. You benefit from from the taxes countless other people pay every day when you ride on roads, enjoy clean air and clean water, live in a place without too much crime where the police are paid for by taxes, et cetera, et cetera.
We didn’t need a constitutional amendment to build the national highway system, we didn’t need one to create Medicare and Medicaid, and we don’t need one to create a system that provides everyone with reasonable healthcare regardless of their employment status. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, every other civilized country in the world has figured this out, we can too.
#133, Loser,
You called me selfish.
Yes, because you are. You, and your fellow cheapskates Liebertarians, want to only take that which benefit you. You told us before you work in a company doing municipal work. And you do very handsomely too. So you take take taxpayer money and laugh all the way to the bank. Your greedy paws are ready to take but your selfish mouth is ready to cry about high taxes.
*
Now to correct your misconception. I said I would do anything in my POWER to save my wife’s life. Anyone who wouldn’t is looking over their shoulder at a huge insurance policy or was ready to file divorce papers anyway. And this is where your posing comes out. Only a single, young person would even contemplate a question like that. Damn, even a doctor would do something, if he could.
The point you don’t consider is we are already insured. And we have good policies too. My wife works in the health industry and is personal friends with several doctors. If there is a way, they get the will. If my wife was ill, there would be no reason to question her treatment.
Those uninsured patients aren’t being kicked out of hospitals because of the doctors, it is the bean counters that refuse to treat them. The bean counters look at paying beds or empty beds.
And to think I stuck up for you. Alphie was saying you liked shit sandwiches. I told Alphie you were gluten intolerant.
#137, I understand the question, just don’t see what it has to do with universal healthcare.
It has nothing to do with Universal Healthcare. Your reading comprehension is well above Fusion’s. Good Job.
But, this is not a question about “healthcare.” The healthcare aspect is nothing more than a parameter of the question (which you still didn’t answer, BTW). This is a question about selfishness, which you accuse me of. We are going to find out if you are selfish.
So, would you save your wife or 10 strangers, if the power to do one or the other were in your power?
#138, Once again, you have tried to avoid the question.
WHY would you save your wife instead of 10 strangers?