“David Honig, council executive director, says it would put “at least a third” of minority stations out of business….”>>>>>”

Yeap and thats the intent.

I wouldn’t doubt that Clear Channel is behind this in some way.

I have been saying for awhile that their intent is to put Radio One out of business or buy them out. Kathy hughes has had to close some of the radio one stations in some markets.

Also realize that BET (Viacoms whore) is creating a new station to target TVones audience.

And you are right brotha Temple Dirty Clintons deregulation in 1996 ended many black owned radio stations when Clear channel and viacom began to buy everything. This was also the end of mainstream R&B and rap as we knew it.

In my eye Clear channel and Viacom are public enemy number one when it comes to radio and music cable.

….”Critics tell Channel 2 Action News reporter Amanda Rosseter that this isn’t just consumers misunderstanding who they are giving to — but an organization actively misleading donors to get money….”

This is really a bigger story. In 2007, the Humane Society made $120 million, but $112 million went to ‘expenses’ (mainly back into the pockets of the Humane Society and their well-paid employees (lobbyists for the HSUS)… Local HSUS shelters across the country rarely got any money from donations. And those dogs they so called care for, were left on their own for the local shelters to figure out how to care for them.

And the Vick situation was just an opportunity to build up the Humane Society’s ‘slush fund’ and profile….After Vick leaves prison, hopefully the Feds will go after the Humane Society leadership (especially Wayne Parcelle) and send them to jail for fraud.

From NABOB:

Join NABOB for the 33rd Annual Spring Broadcast Management Conference, May 15th – 20th, 2009 at the Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and Spa in St. Maarten. The Spring Conference features three days of panel discussions and workshops on critical issues and trends in the broadcast industry that impact the growth of minority broadcast entrepreneurs. If you want to remain competitive in broadcasting, you won’t want to miss the NABOB Spring Conference.

And yet, the Press Release page of the website hasn’t been updated since 2006. If this is a life/death economic issue, they have a strange way of showing their desperation.

I certainly hear what you’re saying, but I’m still left with a ton of questions. I’ll see what I can find out and I’ll keep you posted as well.

Sharpton does have stake in this, because it does affect his Radio One daily show which is aired in syndication mainly on smaller (in terms of AM/FM frequency) ‘minority-owned’ or black-oriented stations earning $1,250,000 or less per year to pay a flat $5,000 per year for the rights to play music. There are proposed amendments that would lower it to $500.00.

In today’s economy and with business/corporations already cutting back, this type of legislation is not necessary (at least right now). I want music artists to get their money, but not at the expense of potentially bankrupting local-owned radio stations or having to sell to a larger competitor who doesn’t care about diversity or causing a black-oriented station that may be owned by (ClearChannel or Cumulus) to rethink introducing a black-oriented format in a particular local area.

However, I think some are concerned that imposing this type of airplay fee would be like a Pandora’s box, because a precedent would be set if this law is passed. And in the future, the fee could go up exponentially and it would even more of a deterrent to diversified formats that include community talk programs.

In regards to Conyers, his home state is home to Motown so people in the music industry (songwriters, producers) have a stake in this as well.

My big concern is diversity (in talk radio) on the airwaves could be further compromised under the guise of making mostly an issue of music artists trying to get paid.

Right now talk radio is a very conservative medium and sports talk as well… and legislation that may cause more stations to change their formats or programming is something that will hurt minority owned or oriented stations moreso than anyone else.

That’s just my opinion.

The Washington Times isn’t “really” a DC-area paper. It’s not like the NY Post. It’s really a national paper with a strongly conservative, white-supremacist orientation. In that sense, it’s just like the NY Post. The Times has always covered national and international issues and applied the same brush. It’s really more of a tabloid than a newspaper — but it is national.

I think you’re right to flag all of these items. Great stuff. It has to be brought to folks attention so that there are consequences.

——————–

Patrick: On the radio issue — that’s not information for me to make an informed decision. Who’s paying the bills on this for Sharpton? Who’s paying for Conyers? Where are the lobbyists on this? There are only a handful of stations in this game anyway — but the real question for me is around the use of the term “minority.” Frankly, I don’t know who the hell they’re talking about.

Are they talking about stations owned by Mexican nationals residing in Mexico and/or the US who operate in large markets in Texas and California? Are they talking about white Cubans in Florida? Are they talking about the stations that used to be owned by Black folk in New York — but no longer are? Are they talking about small stations owned in small markets in the South (outside of ATL and Mia)?

Clear Channel went consolidation crazy a few years back and bought up EVERYTHING that wasn’t nailed down. They bought stations, consolidated brands, kicked a particularly mindless content format and tried to out-market more serious Black-owned stations.

I’d just like to know who is working for whom. Whatchu got? Holla back bruh. Much appreciated. Radio is still a critical front for information sharing.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv/2009/05/13/2009-05-13_al_sharpton_john_conyers_on_opposite_sides_of_airplay_fee_battle.html

>>>>>..”The Rev. Al Sharpton and the Minority Media and Telecommunications Council, among others, have warned its impact would be “devastating” to minority stations, because they can’t afford more expenses in these hard times.

David Honig, council executive director, says it would put “at least a third” of minority stations out of business….”>>>>>

We all know there is a whole lot of contempt and anger out there for President Obama and his wife, but the Washington Times newspaper stooped to a new low:

On Wednesday, the Wash Times had on their website a headline: “36 Chicago Area Students Killed Sets Record”…. and there was a photo and caption of Obama’s little girls– Sasha and Malia

The Washington Times says it was an accident, but why is a Chicago story being written in a Washington D.C. area paper…?

http://nomoremister.blogspot.com/2009/05/anyone-else-find-this-creepy-preview-of.html

http://www.oliverwillis.com/2009/05/13/washington-times-uses-obama-daughters-picture-for-school-shooting-story/

Many people complained and the Washington Times eventually took it down, but that it some BS right there… someone needs to send the Secret Service over there..how can someone make a mistake like that…?

Denver’s good. I don’t know exactly how good, though. They seem to be using more post play in the playoffs. Every time that I watched them in the regular season, they seemed like too much of a jump shooting team to go anywhere. Their defense is definitely improved. I’m sure they’d prefer to get LA than to get a team that would beat them down like the Rockets, but LA would probably be a worse matchup from a skills point of view.

Why is Dirk rollin’ with an old busted down chick? 37? Really? Tony Banks goes back to 1997. Dirk is starting to scare me.

We’ll see. It’s all in Stan Van’s hands unless D. Howard chooses to WREST control of the teaam away from his coach and point guard. “Coup in Magic Kingdom. Howard demands the rock. Drops 45, Snags 25; beats down coach after buzzer.” I think that Latrelle Sprewell could be really inspirational right about now.

Quick one:

Is Denver as good as we think they are? New Orleans was an awful matchup and didn’t have any guns. Dallas is still as soft as advertised and didn’t beat Denver once during the regular season. Is this really just all about bad matchups? The Lakers size and talent is going to be a factor.