Current Events > Corruption exposed at Trump's FCC

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http://www.motherjones.com/media/2017/11/fcc-sinclair-media-ownership-tribune-merger/

On Thursday, the Republican-led Federal Communications Commission voted on a series of actions that would eliminate regulations for local media ownership while approving a new TV broadcast standard developed by Sinclair. Both decisions will likely result in a major windfall for the Maryland-based company, paving the way for Sinclairs proposed $3.9 billion merger with Tribune Media and for the widespread adoption of its Next Gen TV service.

The FCCs two Democratic commissioners voted against the deregulatory decisions. We have engaged in a series of media policy changes at this agency that are striking in the one thing that they have in common, FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel, a Democrat, told reporters on Thursday. They are all custom-built for a company called Sinclair Broadcasting,

The five-member FCC, led by Republican Chairman Ajit Pai, voted on Thursday to loosen the rules on owning multiple TV and radio stations in the same market. The FCCs announcement helps pave the way for Sinclairs mega-merger with Tribune Media, a deal that would give the company well over 200 TV stations, including in New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago, the countrys three biggest media markets. The FCC also voted to remove the 40-year-old ban on a company owning a newspaper and a TV or radio station in the same media market as part of the FCCs deregulatory spree on Thursday.

Before Thursdays vote, Sinclair faced the prospect of offloading some of its stations if the Tribune deal went through in order to stay under a national ownership cap for broadcast companiesanother rule the Trump FCC could potentially jettison. But Andrew Jay Schwartzman of the Communications and Technology Law Clinic at the Georgetowns Institute for Public Representation says the FCCs latest round of deregulation may allow Sinclair to retain more of its stations should the Tribune deal get approved. It makes it possible for the deal to go through, and the changes yesterday reduce or completely eliminate the number of stations theyll have to divest, Schwartzman says. In short, thanks to the FCC, Sinclair would emerge from the Tribune merger even larger and more lucrative than previously expected.

Thursdays actions were the latest example of the FCCs three-member Republican majority removing barriers to Sinclairs expansion. Sinclairs $3.9 billion proposed merger with Tribune, for instance, would not have been possible if Pai and his fellow Republicans had not reinstated the so-called ultra high frequency discount, a Reagan-era regulatory loophole that lets broadcasters count only half of their audience reach for ultra high frequency channelsthat is, channels 14 and higher. The FCC under President Obama had eliminated this loophole after TV went digital in 2009, but Pai and his fellow Republicans brought it back earlier this year, opening the door for the Sinclair-Tribune deal.

Pai has repeatedly said his actions were not intended to benefit Sinclair or any other specific company. He insisted that his decisions since Trump made him FCC chairman in January were part of a larger campaign to update the nations media laws. My actions have been motivated by my belief that a strong over-the-air broadcast service advances the public interest, he wrote in a September 15 letter to Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), the ranking member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. They have not been fueled by a desire to help any particular company.

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful
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Ajit Pai is legitimately the worst thing to come from Trump's presidency so far but because he's just a dude that runs a stupid bureau and not an elected politician no one gives a shit.
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Literally motherjones
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Antifar posted...

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful

He's a Verizon lawyer

Helping Verizon

Like, you know that rule about not being allowed to be president unless you're a natural born citizen of the USA? That rule was put there because people were worried that (example) a French guy would become president and give France a totally biased amount of attention, international aid and support.

That's happening right now except with Verizon instead of a country.
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ChromaticAngel posted...

Ajit Pai is legitimately the worst thing to come from Trump's presidency so far but because he's just a dude that runs a stupid bureau and not an elected politician no one gives a shit.

Ajit Pai is just a posterboy for this issue. If he dropped dead from a brain aneurysm the telecomms lobby would line up a dozen more people like him, the FCC has long since been captured
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Antifar posted...

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful

If it turns out the people putting forth and voting for these actions are on Sinclair's payroll, would that be corruption?
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"monopolies are only okay if they benefit me"- every republican.
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Zeeak4444 posted...

"monopolies are only okay if they benefit me"- every republican.

Don't forget the weirdass working class republicans who consistently vote against their own interests because they're mistaken in thinking they're going to be wealthy "when the jobs come back"

And they call liberals the cucks...
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pinky0926 posted...

Don't forget the weirdass working class republicans who consistently vote against their own interests because they're mistaken in thinking they're going to be wealthy "when the jobs come back"

The trickle down will start any day now!
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BLAKUboy posted...

pinky0926 posted...

Don't forget the weirdass working class republicans who consistently vote against their own interests because they're mistaken in thinking they're going to be wealthy "when the jobs come back"

The trickle down will start any day now!

Trickle down, is that when Trump takes a piss on your face?
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If I understand correctly:

-Democrats want to stop right wing Sinclair to monopolize local markets across the country.
-Republicans want to proceed because Sinclair has a conservative agenda.

lmao. CNN is about to get fired. Next time you criticize Trump, you better think twice.
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BLAKUboy posted...

Antifar posted...

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful

If it turns out the people putting forth and voting for these actions are on Sinclair's payroll, would that be corruption?

You should ask Bob Menendez
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cerealbox760 posted...

If I understand correctly:

-Democrats want to stop right wing Sinclair to monopolize local markets across the country.
-Republicans want to proceed because Sinclair has a conservative agenda.

More accurately, people with half a brain want to prevent the far right literal fake news that is Sinclair from reaching even more low information voters. Republicans however don't really care as long as they can get votes from idiots.
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Antifar posted...

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful

It indicates the administration is cutting favors for corps that are supporters of the administration. In that sense, it's corruption.

Glass_Phantom posted...

Antifar posted...

This doesn't suggest corruption, just a general disposition towards benefiting the already rich and powerful

It indicates the administration is cutting favors for corps that are supporters of the administration. In that sense, it's corruption.

Not according to case law or the SCOTUS it isnt
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bump
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pinky0926 posted...

Zeeak4444 posted...

"monopolies are only okay if they benefit me"- every republican.

Don't forget the weirdass working class republicans who consistently vote against their own interests because they're mistaken in thinking they're going to be wealthy "when the jobs come back"

And they call liberals the cucks...

No joke, it's the most baffling aspect to me. The people who don't understand why we should fear automation in our current state are the same idiots who believe we're gonna magically stop progressing so we can save manufacturing jobs...then call us the idiots because any kind of talk about a UBI is treated by the right like we want to institue Stalinism or some other absurd notion.
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Bump