In about two and a half weeks, the FCC’s Localism Task Force will set up shop in San Antonio, Texas for a public hearing. This is the second one; the first happened in October in Charlotte, North Carolina. That produced a 153-page transcript, if you’re interested in catching up on the pontification.
I still don’t quite see the point of this effort, as the damage done to localism in the media (however you want to define it) from industry consolidation is already done, and is just getting worse as time goes on. At least those that get to speak to some FCC officials will feel momentarily important, as said officials momentarily act like they care. Change/progress? Not likely (however you want to define it).
That being said, the image at right arrived in the inbox this week courtesy of “RPMRADIO,” a shadowy entity that claims to operate a network of unlicensed microradio stations in San Antonio, also the home of Clear Channel. Photoshopped or not, the sentiment’s dead-on. Task force public hearings are only one venue through which the public may be heard.
(click on image to see a larger jpeg)