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Media Blackout on Election Fraud by Media News Group To those of us on the inside of this issue, it seems inconceivable that our local newspapers would offer a front page story on election fraud in Ukraine while ignoring stories of the same right here at home in the United States. Every day, since November 2nd, 2004, stories have emerged detailing such things as malfunctioning voting machines, fraudulent election records in Volusia, Florida, inconsistent numbers of voter registrations vs. vote totals in Ohio, credible university studies showing serious statistical impossibilities in election results, and much more. Yet, these daily revelations have been almost completely ignored by our media. These reports are coming not from persons with tin foil hats as is often claimed, but from PhD level citizens, election officials, and voting rights activists. But to the rest of America, who get their information from corporate owned media sources, there is nothing missing from the daily news. That's because, if they don't report it, it didn't happen. For most of America, we trust our local papers to report honestly and fairly. But what many of us don't realize is that our local newspapers are not so local after all. One Local Protest Aren't You a "News" Paper? So question number one comes to mind; if the Denver Post is just a local paper, why where they so insistent that the public not be able to see them. After all isn't "news" something timely? Aren't they a "news" paper? Why the security? Is there something bigger going on here. Shouldn't a "news" paper want to know when things are happening in their community? According to the Denver Post Web Site they are just a local newspaper. Searching further reveals that they are in fact owned by William Dean Singleton and Media News Group, Inc. (the list of properties they hold is woefully out of date on their web site). Media News Group is located in the Denver Post Building and is owner of at least 94 seperate media properties including newspapers, radio stations, and television stations in 12 states. See Media Holdings for a partial list. But is that all there is? As early as May of 2000, Media News Group was working on the purchase of KTVA in Anchorage Alaska, as reported by the Peninsula Clarion http://www.peninsulaclarion.com/stories/052300/ala_052300ala0pm060001.shtml. This was in "In anticipation of changes in the regulations governing the ownership of newspapers, radio and television," according to the MediaNewsGroup Web Site (c)2000. Now, I ask you this, how can the purchase of a single television station be in anticipation of a change in FCC law? In 2002, KTVA, merged with the local fox affiliate KTBY, which required special FCC approval, and began selling joint advertising http://www.medianewsgroup.com/CompanyNews/2002/121002.pdf. This was only one in a landslide of mergers and acquisitions that led to the empire you see today. At some point Media News Group stopped listing all of their holdings in one place. At least they stopped listing multiple holdings in the same market in one place. The lists of media holdings I've compiled below come from two web sites. Notice KTBY didn't appear on either of them. In fact their corporate site is four years old! In Denver, Colorado, The Denver Post and The Rocky Mountain news began publishing joint weekend editions, but are foggy about their actual relationship.. What could be determined regarding the ownership of the Rocky Mountain News is this. After the formation of the Denver Newspaper Agency, all corporate reports at the Colorado Secretary of States office, http://www.sos.state.co.us, for both the Rocky Mountain News' parent company, The Denver Publishing Company, and the Denver Newspaper Agency are blacked out... a whole new meaning for media blackout. Before the merger, The Denver Publishing Company never blacked out these reports. It has become very difficult to determine just what properties Media News Group owns since they stopped updating their web sites several years ago. Still they manage to keep an up to date web site for every one of their daily newspapers/ The DOJ Loves US Eventually I located the DOJ anti trust case for the merger between The Rocky Mountain News and The Denver Post http://www.usdoj.gov/atr/cases/f6500/6508.htm. Apparently, the Rocky Mountain News was in "probable" financial trouble so they where allowed to merge. No hearing and a green light to raise advertising rates even though Westword would be faced with the complete loss of competitive bids for printing and other publishers would be affected. A few groups even contended that the Rocky Mountain News was not in financial trouble. Excerpt from DOJ case: For the reasons described below, the Antitrust Division recommends that the Attorney General find that the applicants in this matter have made an adequate showing that the News is in probable danger of financial failure and that the proposed Denver JOA effectuates the policy and purpose of the NPA. As a result, the Antitrust Division recommends that the Attorney General approve the application without a hearing, and immunize what appears to be an anticompetitive agreement to eliminate competition between these parties, one that would likely be found illegal under the Clayton Act (15 U.S.C. ?18) were it not for the NPA. The FCC Loves US But does Media News Group really want to continue their pattern of mergers and acquisitions in the same markets? This is taken Directly from the US Senates Web Site. It is William Dean Singleton, of Media News Group's testimony in which he explains why he should be allowed to merge merge merge........ see the link for the complete text. http://commerce.senate.gov/pdf/singleton051303.pdf TESTIMONY OF WILLIAM DEAN SINGLETON MEDIANEWS GROUP, INC. IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA So, we've established two things. Mr. Singleton wants something from the government. Permission to merge holdings in the same major markets. And he doesn't want us to know what he's doing anymore now that the company has gotten so big. So far though, he has every reason to be happy with the republican leadership, and the DOJ. In June 2003, the FCC announced sweeping changes in their cross ownership rules that would have allowed large media conglomerates to expand drastically. Then, just when it looked like Media News Group would get everything they wanted from Republican FCC Chairman Michael Powell, former Secretary of State Colin Powell's son, who led the effort to revise the ownership regulations, democrats and an odd alliance of organizations managed to put a halt on the process. See the report by the Associated Press: http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/24-06242004-321843.html. But Media News Group still got most of what they wanted, for now. In their 2-to-1 decision, federal judges threw out rules that would have allowed greater ownership of television and radio stations in the same market. However, they also found that the FCC was within its rights to repeal a blanket prohibition on companies owning both a newspaper and a television station in the same city. Current polls indicate that as the public becomes more aware of this issue they are against loosening of the restrictions on media cross ownership. See study by the PEW research center http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=188. Further relaxation of these rules will depend heavily on government sponsorship. So what do we have so far? A strong desire to merge and acquire, secrecy, and thank you to the son of the Secretary of State of the Bush Administration. Oh and a need for the current administration, who is very friendly to media mergers, to stay put in order to push through the FCC's agenda. Then along came Kerry... Kerry was short sighted in this case. What one thing could he possibly do to make all of our major media hate him? Even if he was right? The Democrats Don't Love US John Kerry, ""I'm against the ongoing push for reducing restrictions on media concentration," Kerry said on August 6, 2004, echoing the question by Forbes senior editor Brett Pulley. "It's contrary to the greater goals of democracy for the country." see: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr/media/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1000600685. Kerry said this right before all of the major media outlets decided who to support for President. This in effect said to every major media outlet in the world, "I will limit your profit potential!" Corporations exist to make money for their shareholders and themselves, not to make the world a better place. Maybe for some of them that is someplace in the list, but number one is MAKE MONEY. That is why the stock market works, that is why it is called capitalism. Kerry made this statement just a few months before the media corporations made their endorsements for the presidential race. Conclusions So what conclusions can we draw? I've laid out the facts. Decide for yourself. It seems pretty obvious to me that: Media News Group wants to merge and acquire. So much so that they started buying up properties before the laws changed because they were so sure they would change. They buy up multiple properties in the same market and have shown a growing tendency towards secrecy in their holdings. Media News Group influences legislation so that they can continue to merge and acquire. They have the son of the Bush Administration's former Secretary of State to thank for changes in laws that allow them to grow. Continued mergers and acquisitions give Media News Group control over advertising rates and public opinion/dissemination of information in major markets. Their continued long term growth depends on continued relaxation of laws regarding cross ownership of media properties. Media News Group supported George W. Bush for President. Media news group has initiated a near total blackout on coverage of the election fraud issue, an issue that could potentially remove the republicans from office, thereby resulting in the election of a government less friendly to loosening of FCC cross ownership law, severely hampering their ability to merge, acquire and thus grow. This could force them to divest themselves of properties, limit their ability to control advertising rates and information, destroy their growth potential. That is, if fraud where proven and the elections invalidated. Even if coverage of the fraud issue didn't result in removal from office of any elected officials, it could really upset them, and even cast a shadow of doubt over many in office, lessening the likelihood that Media News Group would be received favorably when they ask the FCC for permission to acquire additional properties or merge with properties in markets in which they already have a presence. Make no mistake, the stakes for them are high. According to Media News Group's latest financial report, their total assets are $1,334,844,000.00. For reference see http://www.medianewsgroup.com/financialinformation/2004/10Q09312004.pdf. This is an issue that is vital to the health of our democracy yet because we have allowed big media and politics to become so entwined and media companies to exert so much control, they now determine the very information we receive. They in effect have the ability, for a great number in our society, to say what is the truth. As a society we have allowed ourselves to become disenfranchised from the truth, giving this responsibility over to corporations whose number one goal is to make money. In this case, the truth is, corporate profits over democracy, civil rights, and the vote. Media Holdings of Media News Group (gathered from 2 Media News Group Web Sites) California The Daily Democrat - Woodland, CA Los Angeles Daily News - Los Angeles, CA
The Graham Leader - Graham, TX Breckenridge American - Breckenridge
Devens Commerce - Devens, MA
THE DENVER NEWSPAPER AGENCY - Denver, CO The Rocky Mountain News - Denver, CO Connecticut Connecticut Post - Bridgeport, CT
KTVA & Radio KBYR - Anchorage, AK
The Evening Sun - Hanover, PA
Salt Lake Tribune - Salt Lake City, UT
Charleston Daily Mail - Charleston, WV Vermont Bennington Banner - Bennington, VT |
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