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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "zoogang" <zoogang@buhdge.com> |
| Subject | Re: Interview w/ FCC Chair, Michael Powell |
| Date | Wed, 27 Oct 2004 12:11:22 -0400 |
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I too heard the Stern call, and I agree with Michael that Stern was not at his
best. Then again, he probably didn't map out his agenda before dialing. It was
probably off the cuff. He's most passionate about radio and his place in the
medium, and he's angry that, in his view, he's being singled out as the poster
boy for fines and indecency, when clearly there are others soiling the sheets,
as it were, and not getting punished.
Stern does seem to be the FCC's whipping boy, and that won't stop even when he
goes to Sirius in, what, 15 months? I don't have the figures at hand, but I
believe he can be fined for previous shows for awhile, so he might not be out
of the woods even as he is nestled in the loving confines of satellite radio.
I too am passionate about radio, and I agree with Stern that he is being
singled out. There is no doubt in my mind that if something is actionable for
Stern, it should be actionable for everyone else. Stern is simply at the end
of his rope, as most people would be after working hard for 25 or so years to
attain a certain position in your career and be beaten down so much for your
trouble.
Powell is just spouting the company line, and that's what he's supposed to do.
But I don't think he really gets it...at the core of all of this mishigas is
the fact that the public owns the airwaves, and, as far as I know, the public
isn't consulted when the Commission is investigating potentially actionable
events. I know I haven't been contacted.
It'll be interesting to see what happens when Stern goes to satellite. It'll
be even more interesting to see where Sirius is in terms of subscribers when
he rolls out; right now, Sirius is at around 700,000 or so paying customers,
and XM is over two million. It remains to be seen whether Stern can sell
enough boxes to raise Sirius to real contender status in the satellite radio wars.
Fascinating stuff.
Alan
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