BillHustonBlog

Bill Huston 1 · Bhuston Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject:

So now we're all supposed to say,

Great! Time Warner is swell. Providing local jobs, etc.

it's just more corporate media, fufulling a public relations role for big industry. More news about cancer walkathons, and not about the causes of cancer. More news about how capitalism will save us all, and nothing about the negative effects.

Do you think Time Warner, with their capitalist funding model, will tell us objectively, without bias, "THE" NEWS?

i.e., about how it is LIKELY that oil will be gone in 40-60 years, and it is also LIKELY that the world cannot sustain 7B people without oil, and it is therefore LIKELY that human population will return to a level prior to the age of oil (about 1B people). This means it is LIKELY in the next 40-60 years there will be a MASSIVE DIEOFF OF HUMANITY, like on the scale of 6 in 7 people, or 85%?

This is preducted by sound science.
And even if it is incorrect, IT SHOULD GET A VOICE IN THE MEDIA.
However, because the capitalists own all the radio transmitters, and the big printing presses, this information is suppressed. It does not get a fair treatment. Not a debate, not a discussion. These ideas are either COMPLETELY ABSENT, or it is rediculed and mocked. "Those Wackos", etc.

An important item to note is Time Warner's support for public access TV locally, i.e., they don't support it at all.

Public Access is one of the few remaining FREE SPEECH ZONE. Commercials are prohibited, therefore the information is generally free of capitalist biases. Public Access is a place, like the public square, where people are free to congregate and discuss any topic whatsoever, even the unconventional. Sometimes it's good to break with the habit of convention, or even necessary.

Here's some of Time Warner's abuses:

* Public Access doesn't play mostly on weekends and holidays when people are home watching TV. Why? There is no technical reason for this, since the commericial networks manage to play on the weekends. The only reason it is tolerated is because TW owns the courts, and local politicians are either apathetic, uninformed, corrupt, or have been convinced of their own impotence.

* There is generally no studio access ANWHERE for public access producers. We've been conditioned to accept that there is no right of access to the commercial stations, WBNG-12, WICZ-40, WIVT-32, WBGH-20 (despite that the airwaves is part of the commons, owned collectively by WE THE PEOPLE)

We've been conditioned to accept that there is no right of access to PUBLIC BROADCASTING WSKG-46. How bizarre this is!

And Time Warner Cable (along with predeccessors NewChannels and Empire), which is obligated BY LAW to provide studio facilities, live cablecasts, portable equipment, and training classes to satisfy "first come, first served, non-discriminitory access", has pissed on the law for 30 years.

And why do they announce this now? Just before the yearly rate increase? To help subscribers feel good about paying 5% more on their cable bill? Does Binghamton need another corporate news outlet? Did the people of Binghamton request this, or have any say about how these funds are allocated in Binghamton?

If Time Warner wants to hire 4 people to run News 10 locally, and probably build a studio, why not use the studio and the people to manage a public access facility? And train the local communty the skills of television production?

Now in addition to the Cyber Cafe, we have the Night Eagle Cafe, the Know Theater, and many other awesome downtown venues for music and arts events.

Would it be nice of local public access producers could take a portable studio out to these local venues to present local arts and cultural events to their 72,000 subscribers?

We need to have a community dialog on THE MEDIA. Please visit
http://binghamtonmediawatch.blogspot.com if you want to begin the debate.

-- Bill Huston, 607-724-1755

BillHustonBlog

Friday, December 29, 2006

Time Warner CORPORATE NEWS vs. Public Access Facility

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Bhuston Posted: Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:50 pm Post subject:

So now we're all supposed to say, Great! Time Warner is swell. Providing local jobs, etc. it's just more corporate media, fufulling a public relations role for big industry. More news about cancer walkathons, and not about the causes of cancer. More news about how capitalism will save us all, and nothing about the negative effects. Do you think Time Warner, with their capitalist funding model, will tell us objectively, without bias, "THE" NEWS? i.e., about how it is LIKELY that oil will be gone in 40-60 years, and it is also LIKELY that the world cannot sustain 7B people without oil, and it is therefore LIKELY that human population will return to a level prior to the age of oil (about 1B people). This means it is LIKELY in the next 40-60 years there will be a MASSIVE DIEOFF OF HUMANITY, like on the scale of 6 in 7 people, or 85%? This is preducted by sound science. And even if it is incorrect, IT SHOULD GET A VOICE IN THE MEDIA. However, because the capitalists own all the radio transmitters, and the big printing presses, this information is suppressed. It does not get a fair treatment. Not a debate, not a discussion. These ideas are either COMPLETELY ABSENT, or it is rediculed and mocked. "Those Wackos", etc. An important item to note is Time Warner's support for public access TV locally, i.e., they don't support it at all. Public Access is one of the few remaining FREE SPEECH ZONE. Commercials are prohibited, therefore the information is generally free of capitalist biases. Public Access is a place, like the public square, where people are free to congregate and discuss any topic whatsoever, even the unconventional. Sometimes it's good to break with the habit of convention, or even necessary. Here's some of Time Warner's abuses: * Public Access doesn't play mostly on weekends and holidays when people are home watching TV. Why? There is no technical reason for this, since the commericial networks manage to play on the weekends. The only reason it is tolerated is because TW owns the courts, and local politicians are either apathetic, uninformed, corrupt, or have been convinced of their own impotence. * There is generally no studio access ANWHERE for public access producers. We've been conditioned to accept that there is no right of access to the commercial stations, WBNG-12, WICZ-40, WIVT-32, WBGH-20 (despite that the airwaves is part of the commons, owned collectively by WE THE PEOPLE) We've been conditioned to accept that there is no right of access to PUBLIC BROADCASTING WSKG-46. How bizarre this is! And Time Warner Cable (along with predeccessors NewChannels and Empire), which is obligated BY LAW to provide studio facilities, live cablecasts, portable equipment, and training classes to satisfy "first come, first served, non-discriminitory access", has pissed on the law for 30 years. And why do they announce this now? Just before the yearly rate increase? To help subscribers feel good about paying 5% more on their cable bill? Does Binghamton need another corporate news outlet? Did the people of Binghamton request this, or have any say about how these funds are allocated in Binghamton? If Time Warner wants to hire 4 people to run News 10 locally, and probably build a studio, why not use the studio and the people to manage a public access facility? And train the local communty the skills of television production? Now in addition to the Cyber Cafe, we have the Night Eagle Cafe, the Know Theater, and many other awesome downtown venues for music and arts events. Would it be nice of local public access producers could take a portable studio out to these local venues to present local arts and cultural events to their 72,000 subscribers? We need to have a community dialog on THE MEDIA. Please visit http://binghamtonmediawatch.blogspot.com if you want to begin the debate. -- Bill Huston, 607-724-1755