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Or: A Possible Question on Why They Suck So Noticibly, Like They Are Trying To Suck.
It's because they are trying. Aciduously.
When the whole media deregulation nonsense started, the first thing they did was deregulate radio as a "test case". This was by no means instituted as a test case: It was Carrot and Stick.
By putting radio deregulation out there, full and largely unfettered, they created the carrot. Said carrot was allowing these companies(most noticibly Clear Channel, but others as well...) to roll up market share and profits. To be sure, this caused no end of painful tumescence on the part of pricipals in other media areas.
The stick is the promise of deregulation of other media segments. Notice, if you will, that the deregulation of these segments seems to take two steps forward, then three back. This is not just the warp and woof of Washington. This is tactics. This is intended effect. By holding out the possibility of deregulation to the other media forms, they keep them right where they want them: printing stenography as news, so as not to anger the very people who hold their deregulatory future in their hands.
It has, to this point, been a very effective strategy. Needless to say, you certainly are not going to read about this in your local paper or see it on your local TV station. They are too busy holding their breaths and working their little fannies off, in the hope that nothing they print, show, write or produce doth offend those who have their fiscal balls in their hands.
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