SENTIENT TIMES Dec/Jan 2001

Democracy and the Airwaves
By Suzi Aufderheide

Research shows that 98% of households in America have television sets, 85% watch the 3 major networks (ABC, NBC, CBS) and 75% the fourth (Fox). With such a huge saturation, such a wonderful inter-connection, imagine the potential that exists for the transfer and exchange of information. The airwaves are a natural resource that belongs to all of us (ust like the air and the water, although we have to watch out for they too are fast becoming a corporate commodity and being removed from the public domain.) The airwaves, however, were given away by Congress to a few major corporations via the Telecommunications Act of 1996. "The law gives broadcasters greater powers of concentration and cross ownership, greater security in the holding of their licenses, and more spectrum. It also maintains their public trustee obligations but does not specify or extend them." (Communications Policy and the Public Interest, Pat Aufderheide)

That gift was worth $70 Billion dollars. Recently, broadcasters received extra bandwidth to accommodate the new digital format. "And when Congress handed broadcasters this very generous gift, Congress expressly reaffirmed the industry's long-standing compact with the American people: As broadcasters reap many billions of dollars from their use of the airwaves, they must also use the airwaves to serve the public interest. In short, the American people have allowed the broadcasters use of a powerful national resource worth $70 billion dollars, and the public should get their money's worth." (Federal Communications Commission Chair, William E. Kennard at the Museum of Television and Radio, October 10, 2000, New York City.)

Rather than providing the American public with useful information for our greater understanding of politics, health, the Earth and its people, our major networks give us "Survivor," "Who wants to be a Millionaire?" and "Pokemon." In exchange for this very valuable national resource, we get overwhelming glitz with very little substance. Too much mind pablum with skimpy clothes and limited language use. Entertainment disguised as news. We don't get truth, we get what six major corporations want us to think and know and buy. In fact, I doubt that much of mainstream television is even as nourishing as pablum.

In our recent presidential election (the one in which we have apparently elected both "lessers of two evils") we had a "level of political advertising · expected to break records, and television stations are the prime beneficiaries, collecting about $600 million in political advertising revenue. Considering that many campaign ads are misleading to voters, TV journalists should devote considerable resources to evaluating the accuracy of such advertising." (Norman Solomon, FAIR)
Imagine news media with comprehensive political debates which ask questions like "In what ways will your administration address the tremendous rage, alienation and violence prevalent among young people in this nation?" (Jill Nelson); or "As you know, federal tax policy has been redistributing wealth from the poor and the middle class to the rich. What would you do about it?" (John Hess); and "· could you tell the American people: At the end of the day when it's just you and your God-no political consultants, no aides, no adoring supporters-how do you explain to that God those actions resulting from you putting political gain over principle, especially when you know that those actions will hurt, in one way or another, those whom Jesus referred to as 'the least of your brothers'". (Juan Palomo). These quotes, from Wizards of Media Oz by Norman Solomon and Jeff Cohen, are part of the chapter titled "What's Out of the Question for Debates" referring to the 1996 election. The authors finish the chapter by saying "In the narrow world of big name journalism, such questions are out of bounds.

The entertainment/news industry hardly needs public welfare! Congress, our elected representatives, well-paid with tax dollars, gave our property away to an industry which is not concerned with the greater good. How is "addiction" germane when we are speaking of democracy, airwaves, and television? The owners and executives of the television media count on the public to remain addicted rather than educated or enlightened. This is, in fact, precisely what is done with the $70 billion gift: Networks make sure that we remain addicted and actually use our national resource, the airwaves, against us to generate higher and higher revenues. In fact, Madison Avenue, our national advertising giant, hires psychologists to help "brand" people as young as one and a half years old.(branding is an advertising term that relates to product identification and "the younger the better" where revenue dollars are concerned). This could be considered an invasion of privacy for the sake of industry cohorts like the Nikes, Firestones, Microsofts et al of our global village.

I believe it is our responsibility as planetary citizens to end our addiction to the corporate information media, and pro-active behavior may be one antidote. Public, Government and Educational (PEG) Access Channels bring you programming put together by your neighbors, friends and family. And, though seemingly unsophisticated to the keenly practiced network-television-viewing-eye, PEG does give us a view into our community. Community Access Television, a communications medium that asks us to become engaged with it and with our community, is very affordable and does a better job of representing democracy in television. Alliance for Community Media (ACM), a collective of PEG access advocates, has a mission "to advance democratic ideals by ensuring that people have access to electronic media and by promoting effective communication through community uses of media." ACM publishes a monthly newsletter the "Public Policy Update" to let you know what is on the telecommunications horizon (wwww.alliancecm.org).

"For fifty years, the solemn public interest commitment of broadcasters, borne of their role as public trustees of the airwaves, has deteriorated in the face of financial pressures and an increasingly competitive marketplace." (Wm. F. Kennard) Perhaps our ignorance as citizens is part of the problem, and an educated stewardship an answer. Stewardship can take many forms. Educate yourself and others. Speak to legislators. Have a continual dialog with the FCC (www.fcc.org). Ask the question "What does it truly mean to be a trustee of the public airwaves? As beneficiaries of this relationship what should the American public get in return for broadcasters use of this valuable public resource?" (Wm. F. Kennard) Insist on solutions and answers that profit the public domain. Join those of us who believe we should work on legislation to get our airwaves back. Insist on accountability for all who benefit from the media · whether they be TV, radio, internet, newspapers. As stewards, we need to take direct action to protect and reclaim our natural resource: the airwaves. Our technological natural resources need wise guardianship with honor, distinction and sovereignty.

Become a part of the media. Produce your own television and radio programming about real people and real issues-Prometheus Radio (www.prometheus-delivered.tao.ca) can teach you how to get a low power FM radio station going in your own hometown. Find out who in your hometown is providing good information and support them. Investigate alternative information sources and resources, like the Independent Media Center (www.indymedia.com), whose purpose is to report the news not included in mainstream media. Check out Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (www.FAIR.org) a national watchdog association. Talk to your friends about alternative media sources, you may be surprised by who is receptive. Keep revenue streams like franchise fees in your community to fund local access to media.

While becoming guardians of the airwaves remember all change begins at home. Have fun with media literacy by watching a sitcom with the volume down. Put your own family-cultural words in the place of what has been spoken. Count the number of male and female roles and the amount of power allotted to each. Notice what kind of work the people do, and the relative proportions of working people to professionals.

Media, like democracy, only works when we all are involved, using available tools to improve the character and the flow of life. Let us become stewards of all of our natural resources, including the airwaves.

Suzi Aufderheide is a single mother of six who has been a media activist for more than 20 years. An originator of RVTV cable in Ashland, Oregon, Suzi is Treasurer on the Board of the Alliance for Community Media, Northwest Region.

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