Don't Cry For Disappearing Newspapers

May 01, 2009, 03:01 (3 Talkback[s])
(Other stories by Carla Schroder)

"Local TV news was the first and most obvious casualty. Nearly all local TV stations lost local, independent ownership years ago. You might have noticed when you travel that the local news in Podunk, Texas is identical to the local news in Backwoods, Oregon. Only the place names are changed. Even the on-air personalities are the same, like they are bred on special farms.

"Local radio suffered a very sneaky downfall-- programming is presented as though it is produced locally, but in fact radio stations have been gobbled up by conglomerates and converted into clones of each other. Chances are your local station is staffed only by a technician or two, and all content is beamed in from a central location. When the on-air personality adds local color with statements like "It's a beautiful day here in downtown Podunk!" he is lying his head off, because he recorded his show a thousand miles away and has never been in Podunk. Both local radio and TV stations are remote-controlled by media consultants who have never left their special media consultant lairs."

Complete Story

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