STANDING UP TO BIG MEDIA
Pacificans & Allies Oppose Media Consolidation

On November 9, 2007, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) held its sixth and final public hearing on media ownership issues. Three Pacificans were there to voice their opposition to a proposed loosening of media ownership rules. Their testimonies, which appear here in text and audio, echo the sentiments of millions of Americans who in recent years have seen a myriad of negative effects from wave after wave of media mergers.

Testifying at the Seattle hearing were:

• Joseph Orozco - Station Manager of KIDE in Hoopa, California
• Davey D - host of Hard Knock Radio on KPFA Berkeley, California
• Steve Ramsey - General Manager of KBCS in Bellevue, Washington
• Jonathan Lawson - Executive Director of Reclaim the Media
• Leigh Robertes - General Manager of KRFP Radio Free Moscow in Moscow, Idaho
• Gavin Dahl - Producer of "Digital Crossroads" at KAOS in Olympia, Washington
• Karen Toering - Co-Director of Reclaim the Media

Joseph Orozco - Station Manager, KIDE in Hoopa, California

Listen to his testimony:   Stream | Download

Joseph Orozco

We are proud to be the first solar powered radio station in California. I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this panel as it meets my need for understanding. In our language our call letters KIDE is pronounced Ka-day, which describes an antler when it's made into a tool. Like the other 32 Native owned noncommercial radio stations in the U.S. we are a community building tool.

I believe all Native stations began the purpose of being a language and culture restoration tool. We serve our communities in times of harsh weather and natural emergencies. We are the communication hub everyone relies upon. We encourage our people to maintain healthy lifestyles. We share the knowledge to prevent health problems. We are the electronic version of our oral traditions.

Our land base is our home. Our culture is our life. Securing our sovereign rights in modern times means we must practice cross cultural understandings. Radio does this well. We share ideas. We share thoughts. We open the discussion beyond ourselves. MY appearance here today is yet another extension of this practice.

A reality of Native communities is that we are the last seated on -- at the media discussion tables, such as I am here on the last session of this. Seriously.

Being an owner of a media operation is a new role for some of us and an experience many others have yet to have. The Hoopa Valley community operates as any other town. The residents depend on our tribal government to provide leadership, 1aw enforcement, health care, and road maintenance.

However, our government must also remain vigil to protect our sovereign rights. In the realm of media ownership we must voice our need to secure our right to own and operate our media in order to maintain our sense of identity and security. Allowing more media consolidation increases the assault of western civilized thinking and minimizes the essence of indigenous values.

KIDE is a member of the National Public Media Network. Native Public Media is the only national organization dedicated to expanding and strengthening the voice of Native America. AS a veteran of the Native American Radio Network we support the positions advanced by NPM. We also, we also support their efforts to increase Native Americans in accessing, owning, and controlling media outlets. To my knowledge native ownership of commercial licenses is less than one percent of the existing licenses for both radio and TV.

Spectrum of ownership remains a high priority for Tribes. Broadcast ownership among Native Americans is less than .07 percent. In a recent NCE window we know of at least 21 Tribes and Native organizations that applied for a full power non-commercial FM radio licenses. This is a good start; however, there are 560 federally recognized Tribes in this country.

We want to see that all Native Nations become eligible for licenses when they are ready without having to wait for an NCE or LPFM windows to open.

Because of the land base of many tribes, we feel that both full power and low power licenses must be available to tribes as there is no one size license fits all. I must point out again that there is only one Native owned commercial television station. Native Public Media believes that the FCC must do more to promote diversity of ownership in commercial and non-commercial broadcasting.

We would like the FCC to ensure that the unique needs of Native Nations are considered in any studies performed by the FCC as part of this proceedings and consider performing a targeted study of Native Nation broadcasting issues.

We want to acknowledge and appreciate Shana Barehand and the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs and their efforts. And we would like the FCC to create an Indian desk that will generate proposals to promote broadcasting on Native lands; propose ways for the Commission to set aside spectrum to meet the needs of Native Nations; to help Native Nations hold mainstream broadcasters accountable; study Native station ownership; identify ways that the transition to digital technology can serve communities in securing new media opportunities; expand education and outreach regarding regulatory requirements through publications and seminars during the Indian Telecommunications Initiatives, also known as the IT1 events.

Davey D - Host of Hard Knock Radio on KPFA Berkeley, California

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Davey D

Second thing, I have convinced my former boss -- I was an 11 year employee at Clear Channel. She was the program director. She was supposed to be here tonight to give you the real deal from a programmer's prospective, somebody who was in charge to tell you why she was against consolidation. But because of the last minute notice that we got, we couldn't get a cheap airfare. So I paid $400 out of my pocket to be here. She would have had to pay seven or eight coming from Los Angeles. So boo on that last minute trick that they did.

Lastly, I'm very familiar with the artist community up here, and big shout out to the 206 Zulu people that I met … the people from G Prezes Artist Union. Many of them would be here speaking out, but it's a Friday night, and most artists, DJs, and band members that I know this is gig night for them and because of the last minute notice they couldn't cancel gigs so many aren't here, but would be expressing the same sentiments. Moving on to just understanding how this consolidation has affected people. I can tell you firsthand from being up here and being down in the Bay that a lot of local artist wherever I go it's the same complaint very little access and the more that these things have become consolidated, the less that it's gotten.

In the Bay area you've got a station like Clear Channel that owns eight stations in the market, all the urban stations, they do funny things. Like, for example, when we have competition, when we had that diversity, when a new station came on the market and said we will play the local artists and fill that void, Clear Channel promptly got up and wrote letters, which are on record, to all the major and minor labels and said, If any of your artists show up on this competing radio station, they will not get airplay on the other 1200 stations that we own. (Booing).

Hold on a second. The local artists were put on notice that if they showed up or even as much as gave a station ID, they would not get any airplay as well.

Now, finally, that same Clear Channel station had one of my former bosses, who never owned a radio station, suddenly get a 45 million dollar loan and bought the competing station out. He promptly changed the format, and we don't have local artists on the air to this day anymore. This is consolidation at its best. We have a guy, a very popular artist named Mr. Fab, F-a-b, signed to Atlantic Records, very popular, SO popular that our mayor in Oakland sought him out to get an endorsement and wanted him to sit on his panel to help out the youth.

This gentleman decided that he would get a radio show on a Clear Channel owned station in the market and just talk to the people, not even play music. Well, the competing station -- Well, the sister station in that market where his music would be the -- you know the natural fit refused to play his records because he was on the sister station.

So he promptly said, Well, I'm an artist first. Let me take myself off this station. I won't talk to the youth. I won't give them this wisdom that I have. And he still can't get any airplay. In fact, they won't even let him buy commercials on the radio station because he pissed off the management at the station who felt like he shouldn't have been on their own station.

This is the type of bullying that goes on. You have artists all around the country that I know that can't get airplay, whether they're in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles, you name it; yet these same artists can sell out shows in venues owned by some of these radio stations. It happens in Seattle. It happens in the Bay area. It happens all around.

So the point that I'm just getting at is that there is a need to totally make sure that this consolidation thing does not go through. When I first started out in radio, we played local artists because our management at that time, before it become corporate owned, had the vision to say play local groups is community outreach.

Now that's all gone out the window, and all you have is the same ten song playlist whether you're in New York, Oklahoma, Texas, Seattle. You turn it on. All ya all will hear the same Soulja Boy record. You'll here the same 50 Cent record. You'll hear the same Kanye West record.

News, views, and information won't be disseminated. We didn't have discussion in our market about Gena 6 even though 60,000 people showed up. We recently had a mayoral election in San Fxansisco. None of the Clear Channel stations in our market even announced that there was an election and encouraged people to go vote.

This is the diversity that these -- some of these people who are in charge of the media are saying exists; therefore, we should allow for consolidation. I say to hell with that.

Thank you very much.

Steve Ramsey - General Manager of KBCS in Bellevue, Washington

Listen to his testimony:   Stream | Download

Steve Ramsey

We've also helped establish with Reclaim the Media the Northwest Community Radio Network which encourages community members and community stat ions to work together collaboratively to share content, ideas, and training materials designed to provide the next generation of media people with the skills they need.

I was teaching our training class a little while back. The discussion turned to media consolidation in reference to Rupurt Murdoch's proposed takeover of the Wall Street Journal, and the question that came out of that class I think is a that something that you guys need to answer because I couldn't.

I was asked, "Who ultimately benefits from this?" And further, what benefit does the general public have in further consolidation of the media and more importantly how will the next generation, how will these young ladies who just came up to address you, how will they become inspired and trained to do the kind of work that I was able to have access to all those years ago?

In class that night we talked about the fact that people who benefit obviously are the corporate media. I mean, they make money. But does the general public benefit at all? So I would encourage you, gentlemen, to be visionaries just in the same way that you were earlier this decade when you established low power FM, which was a brilliant move. Thank you for that. Thank you.

Jonathan Lawson - Executive Director of Reclaim the Media

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Jonathan Lawson

If the FCC strikes down the cross-ownership ban, people living in small or medium size towns in our region are especially likely to see reduction in the quality and quantity of local news coverage.

Northwest rural folks deserve a chance to discuss those concerns with the FCC, so do African Americans, Latinos, and other minority communities who own few media outlets and whose voices are severely underrepresented in civic dialog as a result. Native Americans have few opportunities to speak to the Commission, and the Northwest is home to many tribes that have limited or no voice in local media.

Northwest residents include technology workers, union members, immigrants, people with disabilities, queer folks, independent musicians, young people, women and people with diverse faiths. Many with powerful stories to tell about how their voices have somehow remained marginalized in the much celebrated explosion of channels on cable, TV, radio and the internet.

Dozens of rural and urban Northwest churches, schools, and community organizations are using lower power FM radio to provide local news and cultural programs around our nation. Many more were denied the chance to own their own station. The FCC should take advantage of what these broadcasters and would-be broadcasters can share about the media needs of their communities.

All these people and more deserve to be heard on the issue of media ownership, but without adequate notice of this hearing, few of these people will be heard. The short notice for this hearing and the fast track the Chairman has imposed on this proceeding are an insult to these communities and have made this process -- (Applause.)

Honestly, the FCC should put the brake on this railway train. When the Commission gets back to D.C., all of us will still be here and we'll continue fighting for media diversity, quality journalism, media democracy, and media justice. Thank you.

Leigh Robertes - General Manager of KRFP Radio Free Moscow in Moscow, Idaho

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Hello. I'm Leigh Robertes. I'm the manager of Radio Free Moscow low power FM in Moscow, Idaho. (Applause.)

Since low power FM's are generally owned by local nonprofit groups and groups which own a low power FM station cannot own any other station of any type, low power FM truly represents community grassroots media at its best. For example, we have 35 locally produced shows, daily newscasts produced by citizens, journalists, and interns, plus national favorites from Pacifica and grassroots producers around the world.

I'm concerned about threats to low power FM stations. We know new full power FM stations can take away low power FM frequencies. I'm also concerned about threats to potential low power FM frequencies before community groups even get to apply.

One problem is translators which are only allowed to rebroadcast existing stations, sometimes from far away. The great translator invasion of 2003 when 13,000 mostly national groups applied for translators has taken away many low power FM frequencies.

Now the National Association of Broadcasters has asked the FCC to allow AM stations with the smaller night time signals to put translators on the FM band. This has never been done before in except in Alaskan and shouldn't be done because it will take away many of the remaining potential low power FM frequencies.

While FM translators on AM stations may help a few one-station owners, those that will most benefit from this spectrum grab are large chains that already own numerous stations. Many of these AM stations just play syndicated programs at night anyway. Some of them hate radio.

Why let these owners have even more frequencies when nonprofit community groups who have been waiting for years to squeeze their true community stations on to what in many places are the only remaining channels on the FM band have been waiting.

Jeff Abrams - Executive Director/Chair of Boise Community Radio Project

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I drove over here from Boise this morning. My name is Jeff Abrams. I'm from Boise Community Radio Project.

Boise is the biggest area in the country without community radio. We have a half million people in our town without access to locally programmed, community based radio. We formed an organization. We decided that something needed to change, and we applied during this latest window that the FCC finally opened.

Five and a half years is how long we've been waiting. There are organizations that waited over seven years to have access to their public airways. So I hope that whatever I say going forward doesn't get used against me in that determination process.

This whole thing seems crazy to me. Back in '03 it seems like the FCC got a real clear impression of what the public wanted and now we're back here. (Applause.)

Yeah. And so I'm really wondering -- The two words I can ascribe to that is audacity and hubris. Where is the sense? Where is the ear to the public? I don't see it. I see it from a couple Commissioners who have been really great and really supportive, and they are champions for democracy. These two are champions for democracy. (Applause.)

So anyway, I see some really great ideas going forward. You guys cap the applications at ten per organization, so to me the thinking there is, well, let's not let one organization dominate the voices here. Why can you not extend that to the commercial band as well as the cap?

So my other last point is where is the outcry? What is driving this timetable?

Commissioner Martin, I've got a button here.

Moderator Sigalos: Thank you.

It says, "What the FCC?" (Applause.)

Moderator Sigalos: Thank you very much.

Gavin Dahl - Producer of "Digital Crossroads" at KAOS in Olympia, Washington

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Gavin Dahl

People who move might have heard the campaign I produced for AM 90 called Seattle Speaks Out Against the War in Iraq. That was me with the microphone asking your opinion. (Applause.)

Commissioner Adelstein heard a hip-hop set I spun at Radio X Seattle Indymedia. We had a beer that night.

Look. For Chairman Martin this is it. When Bush's term is over, he'd done. That's the way it is. Still, right now, right now, it's not too late for Martin to leave behind a legacy.

You know the American people, 99 percent of us want you to protect what little diversity and localism we've got.

I know it took courage to come to Seattle and face us, so much courage. I respect you.

So there's one more thing we need to demand of the FCC. Come on, Kev, be courageous. When analogue TVs go dark in 2009, no more rabbit ears. We should use the beach front property call the 700 megahertz spectrum freed up to foster a new competition with what we have now for high speed Internet.

A lot of people call them the "carrier cartel." Phone and cable companies who have a duopoly providing broadband and DSL that is too expensive, not as fast as other industrialized nations and rates go up constantly unless we lock in long contracts.

Come on, Kev, you’ve used the Internet. Let’s use the spectrum of 700 megahertz and white spaces to improve Americans' access to our new 21st century public utility, the Internet. (Applause.)

Karen Toering - Co-Director of Reclaim the Media

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Karen Toering

And, Chairman Martin, a little while ago you said that people like I should lease air time if we wanted to have a radio station or a television station. I'm not a sharecropper. That doesn't work for me.

So as a mother, I tell my children that, honey, before you eat your dessert, you got to eat all your vegetables and all your dinner, and before you go out and play, you got to do your homework.

And the FCC has some work they have not finished in relation to ownership by people that look like me -- minorities, and women. And I think that before you take a single step towards loosening the controls on media ownership, then I have to tell you like I tell my children, you've got to go do your homework before you can go outside and play.

I really appreciate the fact that you all came to Seattle. You've heard from Seattle and I think we represent what the public thinks about what you're about to go back to Washington and do and I hope that you're heard us. Thank you very much and good night.

Looking for a way to get involved in the fight
against media consolidation? Visit StopBigMedia.com.

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