Long before the rise of American talk radio, a libertarian activist named Oliver Smedley used radio to fight his country’s slide into socialism. Smedley’s story is told in a new book, “Death of a Pirate.” Here’s my review from the 11/3 Wall Street Journal.
Categories: Government Regulation, Uncategorized |
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American broadcasters justifiably complain and fret about the FCC’s content regulation. But here’s a reminder that it could be worse. A lot worse. Dublin-based Newstalk 106-108 was recently censured by Ireland’s version of the FCC because morning co-host Claire Byrne called spinster singing sensation Susan Boyle “a freak” and “not right in the head.” [...]
Categories: Government Regulation, Programming Advice, Uncategorized |
Tags: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, Claire Byrne, content reguation, Irish talk radio, Newstalk 106-108, Susan Boyle, talk radio | No Comments »
Talk show hosts can be held personally liable for false claims made in their endorsement spots under a new ruling by the Federal Trade Commission. The Commission’s revised interpretation of its long-standing rules on testimonial advertising might also chill some of the creative endorsements presentations that have appeared in recent years, including General Motor’s deal with several [...]
Categories: Government Regulation |
Tags: endorsement spots, Federal Trade Commission, FTC, President Obama, Talk show hosts | Comments Off
Brian Jennings, the Paul Revere of the fight against government contol of talk radio, dropped Talk Frontier a note reinforcing our concern about the growing influence of the media “reform” group Free Press: “[Free Press is] not to be trusted. In the book (“Censorship: The Threat to Silence Talk Radio,” ) I transcribed a lengthy interview their Communications Director, [...]
Categories: Government Regulation |
Tags: Brian Jennings, Fairness Doctrine, Free Press, talk radio | 1 Comment »
The Federal Communications Commission is studying the state of broadcast journalism with an eye towards possible policy changes to “improve” the quality of news content. Given the influence of the media “reform” group Free Press at the highest level of the Commission, the report could have a dramatic impact on talk radio. According to press [...]
Categories: Government Regulation |
Tags: FCC, Federal Communications Commission, Free Press, Jen Lewis, Julius Genochowski, Michael Copps | No Comments »
In yet another sign of the challenge commercial broadcasters now face in Washington, new FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski has chosen a well-known media activist to serve as his press secretary. Jen Lewis comes to Genachowski’s staff from Free Press, an advocacy group that opposes “Big Media” and would like to see government “intervention” ($) to save newspapers and boost [...]
Categories: Government Regulation |
Tags: Add new tag, FCC, Free Press, Julius Genochowski, localism | No Comments »