Feature: NAB Meets Media Democracy

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Note: Clicking on any bordered pictures in this feature produces a larger, captioned version

9/26/00

Sounds of the Street - Click here

In September 2000, extraordinary events took place in San Francisco, where the National Association of Broadcasters held its annual Radio Convention. For the first time, people took to the streets to voice their concerns with the state of the media.

As rapid consolidation in the American radio industry drastically reduces the diversity of voices on the dial, listeners are noticing the change. More ads, less information. A booming bottom line, but nary a pipsqueak of real news and issues we need and can use.

It's a dangerous trend. When the people can't communicate with each other on a mass scale through a free and democratic media, then just how free and democratic can a society be?

So as the American radio industry met in its annual confab to celebrate profits and product, thousands of activists converged on the city for what we all hoped was the start of a real Media Democracy movement.

Like other protests around the country in 2000 (and ever since), the NAB events were well-chronicled by San Francisco's Independent Media Center; dozens of independent journalists worked together in the impromptu workspace of the offices of the Media Alliance to get their side of the story past the corporate mainstream media filters.

I ended up spending more time than I expected to at the IMC - it turned out to be a home of long hours and scratchy eyes. But it was worth it.

The IMC had print, audio and video teams working all of the week's events surrounding the National Association of Broadcasters' convention; teams were loosely organized and one did what they could to keep the operation running. It's amazing what can be done with drive alone.

Even so, I was able to get out and fill eight minidiscs with audio from the events, and burned off six rolls of film. What follows is a personal blow-by-blow account of what it's like to rage at the real rogues of radio:

Wednesday, September 20

Thursday, September 21

Friday, September 22 - (I) / (II)

Saturday, September 23 - (I) / (II)

Conclusion: Memories and Momentum