A Mask For The Fairness Doctrine In A Possible MSM “Bailout”?
I was chatting with “a friend” about this last night.
I am growingly haunted by how similar this all is to how Hugo Chavez took over and “nationalized” everything in Venezuela. From the “strings attached” to the financial bailouts, to the pending bailout of the Big Three auto makers and the control the government is telegraphing over them in exchange for the big bucks.
And then I told my fellow night owl buddy that the MSM would be the next inline outside the US Capitol building with their hands out. I have been hearing such “chatter”, much like the intell masters hear terrorist chatter …) that it’s already being considered.
TV’s big three networks, their cable counterparts, and newspapers across the country, from small towns to the big printers, are losing revenue and circulation and attention. They are cutting back on pages, laying off staff, reducing pay …
My question is, will Katie Couric, Chris Matthews, Keith Olbermann, et al be called before Congress for a grilling on their over-the-top salaries compared to the network ratings losses and lay offs …. and be demanded information on their pricey travel modes and lifestyles? How about Katie’s leg-waxing budget? Olbermann’s empty suits? Matthews’ chapstick budget for all the democrat/Obama ass-kissing he’s done?
No, they would choose to drag Hannity, O`Reilly, and Limbaugh before the conniving bastards who should be grilled themselves.
But here is the thing …
Remember what I said about the government gaining control over those already getting and possibly getting bailouts?
What better way to avoid the sloppy, controversial issue of The Fairness Doctrine?
And the worst part is, unlike the previous bailout recipients who weren’t too keen on government control over them … The leftist media, who for years now, has been hating Fox News Channel and their newspaper holdings, and highly successful conservative talk radio because they cannot be beat in ratings and listeners.
So, the MSM will happily handover their free market freedom to the democrat led government that will impose a “fairness” clause to the bailout funds … But the left media will not be effected. The Congress will say they are already unbiased and balanced. This will be targeted directly at FNC and talk radio … even IF they choose not to take any bailout money themselves.
NBCU To Cut 500 Jobs, Layoffs Begin at NBC News Bureaus
Breaking: TVNewser has learned NBC Universal will be cutting up to 500 jobs in a round of layoffs which are now underway at all levels of the company  television, film and parks. That amounts to about 3% of the workforce. An insider with knowledge of the situation says the cuts are expected to continue into next week.
The NBC News bureaus in Dallas and Los Angeles (Burbank) are already experiencing cuts, with the insider saying Dallas will experience more layoffs than in Burbank. Among those losing their jobs, NBC News correspondent Don Teague who has been with the network since 2002.
This is all part of an effort to cut $500 million from the NBCU budget announced by company president Jeff Zucker in October.
Last month, TVNewser reported the network was offering buyouts to “virtually everyone.” If enough employees did not accept the offer, layoffs were to be the next step.
…Developing…
> Update: Los Angeles correspondents John Larson, who reported for many years for Dateline and Mark Mullen, who just returned to Burbank after a nearly two-year reporting run for NBC in Beijing, are among the cuts. As many as seven people in Burbank have been let go, including Heather Allan who’s been with NBC more than 30 years. Allan was the bureau chief for NBC News special events which involved coordinating Olympics coverage for the news division.
Scripps putting Rocky Mountain News up for sale
DENVER - The E.W. Scripps Co. says it’s putting the Rocky Mountain News in Denver up for sale.
The newspaper announced the development on its Web site Thursday.
Cincinnati-based Scripps has owned the News since 1926.
Since 2001, the News has been in a joint operating agreement with The Denver Post, owned by Denver-based MediaNews Group Inc.
The News was founded in 1859 and is Colorado’s oldest newspaper. It has won four Pulitzer Prizes since 2000.
(AP)
Viacom to cut 850 jobs, freeze some raises in 2009
(Yahoo Finance / AP)
NEW YORK — The media conglomerate Viacom Inc. said Thursday that it will slash about 850 jobs and freeze some senior-level raises in a move to weather the global economic downturn.
The owner of MTV Networks, BET Networks and Paramount Pictures said the job cuts will affect about 7 percent of its work force and hit all departments.
The job cuts and suspension of some raises for senior-level executives in 2009 is expected to generate pretax savings of $200 million to $250 million next year.
The company will take a restructuring charge of $400 million to $450 million before taxes in the fourth quarter.
“The changes we are making in our organization and processes will better position Viacom to navigate the economic slowdown and generate sizable efficiencies that will help us to drive our business as the marketplace stabilizes and conditions improve,” President and Chief Executive Philippe Dauman said in a statement.
Viacom said the moves, as well as a writedown of some programming and other assets, will lead to a fourth-quarter charge of 42 cents to 48 cents per share.
The company maintained that it has a “strong balance sheet and substantial cash flow.”
Last month Viacom reported that its third-quarter profit fell 37 percent as film studio Paramount Pictures’ theatrical revenue fell more than a third and advertising revenue also declined. The company was also hindered by lackluster ratings at MTV.
Viacom shares slipped 16 cents to $15.85 in morning trading after initially rising as high as $16.70.
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