Maurice Hinchey: “this bill and the rule really missed the point. The point is that we are experiencing here in this House and across this…”

“this bill and the rule really missed the point. The point is that we are experiencing here in this House and across this country limitations on political debate, and that is the way this rule is structured, to limit political debate so that the American people do not understand what is going on. For more than 2 decades now, the Republican Party has sought to consolidate the media in America across the board, and they have done so also to limit debate by eliminating the Fairness Doctrine. This bill makes no mention whatsoever of the link between media consolidation and the rising number of indecency complaints. What do we have today as a result of the Republican Party's consolidation of the media in America? Five companies own the broadcast networks and 90 percent of the top 50 cable networks. They produce three-quarters of all prime time programming. They control 70 percent of the prime time television market share. These same companies that own the Nation's most popular newspapers and networks also own 85 percent of the top 20 Internet news sites. Two-thirds of America's independent newspapers have been lost. According to the Department of Justice's 'Merger Guidelines,' every local newspaper market in the United States today is highly concentrated as a result of actions begun under President Reagan in 1987 and that continue today under President George W. Bush and the Republican leadership of this House.”