Jay Inslee: “I do not think that it is rocket science to realize, if we remove rules against consolidation, there is going to be…”

“I do not think that it is rocket science to realize, if we remove rules against consolidation, there is going to be consolidation. This is not rocket science, either, because we have had an experiment with this in radio. The largest number of stations owned was 65 before the anticonsolidation, and now it is 1,200; and that is why this is a bipartisan concern. It is interesting, groups as disparate as the National Rifle Association and William Safire have come out against this. I love to quote William Safire, at least when I agree with him. He said, ``The concentration of power, political, corporate, media, cultural, should be anathema to conservatives. Why do we have more channels but fewer real choices today? Because the ownership of our means of communication is shrinking. Moguls glory in amalgamation, but more individuals than they realize resent the loss of local control and community identity.'' Ninety-nine percent of all of the input they have received in the last several months on this issue is against the very rules they just shoved down America's throat.”