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rare j vi 47 • Rick Karr told a cautionary tale about the risks of media consolidation to local communities. The story, broadcast in April 2003, starts in Minot, North Dakota where a train derailment spilled two hundred and ten thousand gallons of ammonia and a toxic cloud. Authorities wanted to get the word out to Minot residents: stay indoors and avoid the area near the derailment. So they tried to get in touch with six local commercial radio stations. All six of those commercial stations - out of a p total of seven in Minot - were owned by one A huge radio and advertising conglomerate: Clear Channel Communications and had replaced live local programs with shows recorded in far-off >WATCH THE VIDEO studios that only sound local. But what does this mean for the internet? Lots of lobbying and advertising money is being spent on net._neutrality and ownership rules in DC. In 2006, the FCC approved the sale of substantially all of the cable systems and assets of Adelphia Communications Corporation to Time Warner Inc. and Comcast Corporation. And, in July 21, 2006, BellSouth shareholders approved the $67 billion sale of the company to AT&T, which would further expand the latter company's reach in the telecommunications sector and place Cingular under a single owner. In addition, the Supreme Court ruling on the Brand X case put cable modem service providers in the class of information provides, not telecommunication service providers - which come under fewer regulations - and are not bound by common carriage rules. At the bottom of the ruling? Cable broadband providers don't have to share their lines with competitors. A ruling which some say will further hamper the spread of high-speed service throughout the nation. (See more on the new digital divide j. Discussion • Do you think that media consolidation is a problem? • Do you feel like you get enough local news coverage? • Do you know who owns your local media outlets? 4 Explore more • See_who owns the med. i.a. • Track local media ownership Print, the.. class Posted by Kristin Mlller/Taylor Willingham at 12:34 AM I Permdlink I Cpmments_(84) I TrackBd4ks_(0) http://www.pbs.org/moyers/citizenselass/the_net risk/big_bigger_biggest_media/ 10/27/2006