Powell says he knows nothing of destroyed FCC report
Steve Safran September 15th, 2006
Former FCC Chairman Michael Powell says he doesn’t know a thing about the report on local news the FCC is accused of quashing. The study, conducted in 2004, showed that locally owned stations produced more local news than stations owned by out-of-town companies. A Powell spokeswoman said “He said he never saw the report, never heard of it until yesterday and never ordered it destroyed.” If the accusations are true, and the FCC tried to bury a report that was at odds with its own agenda, this is an outright scandal.
17 Comments Add your own
1. JIB | September 15th, 2006 at 10:40 am
I swear, Safran posts these kinds of stories just to get me going (and it works too). First off, lets take a look at the line from the B&C original report:
“Exactly who stopped it dead in its tracks, I don’t know,” said Candeub, but the word came down that “we have to get rid of this. We have to end the study. They don’t want any more research done. They want us to collect copies and destroy them.” He said he did not know who “they” were
This reminds me of a schtick that The Daily Show did the other day. As long as you put a question mark at the end of statement, you can say pretty much anything–Did the FCC quash a report? We don’t know, but we are just asking.
Anybody who knows about government reports knows two things–first, in order to do such a report you need to have a record, or with the FCC, a docket number. Second, once the record is set, there is a HUGE paper trail that has been developed. Among the people following the paper trail would be the other TWO commissioners who happen to support this conclusion before the study was actually done (that would be Adelstein and Copps) .
So, Safran, you can make such a statement–if the accusations are true…this is an outright scandal–but you should at least write something about the process before jumping to such conclusion.
Oh, by the way, the attorney who blabed to B&C is not the author of the report but ONLY a friend of the authors. Why not ask the authors themselves where the report went…I imagine they still happen to be attorneys working at the FCC. In this political climate, they would be heroes and the toast of D.C.
I make this prediction (or better yet, in Daily Show speak), this this professor-former FCC lawyer-whistleblower lie to get attention?
2. Steve Safran | September 15th, 2006 at 11:22 am
I report it (or in this case link to it) because it\’s news. I give opinion and analysis because it\’s a blog. Getting you going is just a side benefit.
As I have written before, I invite you to write a rebuttal to my work any time. I welcome it. I look forward to it. You obviously understand the machinations of the FCC well, and would add to the Lost Remote audience\’s understanding.
You are always welcome to write a rebuttal that tears my arguments to shreds - as long as you stand behind it with your real, verified name. You agreed to do that at one point. Weren\’t you going to be my \”huckleberry\” as you put it in Doc Holliday\’s eleoquent words? My invitation stands.
3. JIB | September 15th, 2006 at 12:24 pm
I’m waiting to write on something relevant that adheres to the mantra of Lost Remote…This story is ALL political and not even merits 1 news cycle. (but yes, Safran, I’m still your Huckleberry)
4. Anonymous | September 15th, 2006 at 12:27 pm
gee, when the two of you finally come to terms the make up sex would be fun to watch.
5. JIB | September 15th, 2006 at 12:40 pm
Forget the make up sex…show me the money!
One more thing on this localism deal. Anybody who has ever worked for a local station knows that “Yes” a locally owned station does more local events because they don’t have all the toys that O&O’s or station groups get. But let us at least acknowledge that after 9/11, many journalism think tanks talked about the regret of not reporting on more foreign news. So what happened…the stations started to focus on international events.
Yes, perhaps local stations should do more lives locally, or perhaps we should have a reporter doing a PKG from that bakery that is putting together a 100 lb cake, but programming eventually becomes a choice of the people. If the viewers want to watch more lives from city hall or a news package on the local hero, they will tune it. Then the marketing guys can put togehter a nice promotional piece that points out “Our local commitment…local news, local sports, local events.”
I’d rather have viewers picking the winners and losers rather than the government mandating programming. I know that is something Cory, Safran and I all agree on.
6. Anonymous | September 15th, 2006 at 12:47 pm
ahhh, a three way.
i never figured on that.
7. Steve Safran | September 15th, 2006 at 12:50 pm
I’d never have figured this post would be the one to go dirty. Well done.
JIB and I agree on way more than we let on. That’s why the debates are so much fun.
8. George | September 16th, 2006 at 9:13 am
I live in a small town, and the TV newscasts here are almost all local news. The four TV stations aren’t locally owned. But every local story is about a murder, shooting, or car crash. It looks like another version of “Cops.” Lots of hicks walking around in their t-shirts with no teeth. Do I really need five more minutes of that crap? No.
What I’d want is five minutes of news that happened someplace else. The local stuff I already know.
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