nifer

By DAVID HO (AP) A cameraman for Viacom's KCAL9 News and CBS Channel 2 News, looks through his camera Monday, June... Full Image WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal regulators voted Monday to allow companies to buy television stations reaching nearly half the nation's viewers and to own newspaper-broadcasting combinations in the same city, relaxing decades-old rules against media concentration. The 3-2 vote by the Republican-controlled Federal Communications Commission brought strong criticism from opponents, including one lawmaker who predicted an "orgy of mergers and acquisitions" putting a few giant companies in control of what most people see, hear and read. Many media companies favored the move, saying current restrictions hindered their ability to grow and compete in a market changed by cable TV, satellite broadcasts and the Internet. Rather than squelching diverse viewpoints and local control in news and entertainment, the companies say, freedom from old restrictions will allow them to provide better news coverage in more communities. The broadcast networks say the changes will help keep free TV alive by helping them compete with pay services for quality programming. FCC Chairman Michael Powell said the FCC achieved its goal of "building modern rules that take proper account of the explosion of new media outlets for news, information and entertainment." The commission's Democrats, Jonathan Adelstein and Michael Copps, said the changes give too much power to media giants. In the largest markets, a single company will be able to own up to three TV stations, eight radio stations, the cable TV system, cable TV stations and a daily newspaper. "This is the most sweeping and destructive rollback of consumer protection rules in the history of American broadcasting," Adelstein said. He said consumers' anger "will flash as they surf through their channels only to find more sensationalism, commercialism, crassness, violence, homogenization and noticeably less serious coverage of news and local events." Powell said after the vote that court challenges would have swept away the old rules anyway and now he is confident "the vast majority of what we've done will survive" the lawsuits he expects to be filed. Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., a member of the Commerce Committee, was joined at a news conference by South Carolina Sen. Ernest Hollings, the committee's ranking Democrat, and Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott, the former Republican leader. They criticized the FCC vote and threatened congressional action to block the initiatives. (AP) Members of the Senate Commerce Committee react at a news conference on Capitol Hill Monday, June 2,... Full Image "There clearly now is going to be an orgy of mergers and acquisitions," said Dorgan, who called the FCC's decision "dumb and dangerous." But Rep. Billy Tauzin, R-La., chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, supported Powell, saying, "The rules correctly reflect the continuing goals of ensuring diversity and localism and guarding against undue concentration." Others in the diverse circle of critics include media moguls Ted Turner and Barry Diller, consumer advocates, civil rights and religious groups, small broadcasters, writers, musicians, unions and the National Rifle Association. Under the new rules, a single company can now own TV stations that reach 45 percent of U.S. households instead of 35 percent. The major networks wanted the cap eliminated, while smaller broadcasters said a higher cap would allow the networks to gobble up stations and take away local control of programming. The FCC ended a ban on joint ownership of a newspaper and a broadcast station in the same city. Restrictions in markets with nine or more TV stations were eliminated, while smaller markets would face some limits. "Cross-ownership" still would be barred in markets with three or fewer TV stations. (AP) Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell, left, and commissioners, from second... Full Image Tribune Co. (TRB) and Gannett Inc. were among the major newspaper-owning companies that wanted the ban lifted. Both also have broadcast holdings. "Our readers, viewers and listeners across the country are the real winners today," Tribune President Dennis FitzSimons said. "They will benefit as we explore additional ways of enriching the content of our newspapers, television stations and Web sites." The FCC also eased rules governing local TV ownership so one company can own two television stations in more markets and three stations in the largest cities such as New York and Los Angeles. The agency also changed how local radio markets are defined to correct a problem that has allowed companies to exceed ownership limits in some areas. Copps said the commission should have learned from the example of radio, which has seen shrinking numbers of independent and minority owners since deregulation in 1996. The government adopted the ownership rules between 1941 and 1975 to encourage competition and prevent monopoly control of the media.

it's definitely a good time. good vibes and music

missed that one damnit... must have been upstairs at the time

i came into transit w/ not so great expectations (he's not really my style anymore) but was progressively amazed as the night went on. those tribal beats he dropped totally got me goin. and for once, i didnt roll my eyes when i heard "plastic dreams" come on... haha got there around 1am, heard the very end of randall jones's set. left around 4am like you did, b/c my sis and my friend were crying to go home

hell yeah he did

one hell of a night

heard mark grant spin at red dog mondays while i was in chicago last year on business. i definitely recommend this spot... totally mixed crowd, awesome vibe, nice space

heading over to transit late for this

whats that song that goes... i neeed your lovin...........................................like the sunshine

ill be soaking up the rays in the bahamas

wow... where has that guy been. should be a good night

my thoughts exactly

no thanks... i didnt like this look when it was in style the 1st time around

woohoo

just got an email from hyde park cafe... saturday, 10 may josh wink will be guest DJing

i'll probably be at transit for this

i got one of these last year while i was in toronto. it still heats up, but for some reason is les damaging to your air than the old ones. i've been using mine daily for almoast a year now and have no complaints

i was just in tampa a few weeks ago... ybor city is *cheese* IMO. for house music try hyde park cafe on tueday and saturday... jask is the resident there.

Chris Purtell (fluid nightclub) will be my guest DJ tonight tune in to hear some deeep house along w/ myself Jenn Louie 9pm - 12midnight 91.7fm www.wkdu.net

ok my new faves... camel dark mint and camel mandarin mint

i'd like to go... but i'll be in the bahamas that weekend let us kno how it is

i havent been able to connect either

i started spring/summer clothes shopping back at the end of february to prepare for my trip to the WMC since then, i've taken another trip to FL and expanded my summer clothes wardrobe even further. i think i'm pretty much set until the fall now

i'm going to be vacationing on grand bahama island memorial day weekend and i was wondering about the club scene down there. any info would help, since i'm totally clueless about it