Mergers, diversity of ownership, and multiple perspectives.
Note sent to the House Energy/Commerce Committee about keeping local broadcast channels on the low price tiers of cable and satellite systems.
This is an important issue for low-income communities, especially foreign language speakers and senior citizens in times of emergency or natural disaster. Continue reading Keeping Broadcast TV Accessible
Originally published in Huffpost Media
In May of 2009, I became a public access television producer. Couldn’t have picked a worse time.
Not because I don’t enjoy hosting and co-producing Media News. It’s a great joy to interview guests and try to shed a little light on the issues closest to my heart including: net neutrality and the digital divide, coverage of turmoil abroad and at home, the loss of local public affairs coverage and the rise in citizen journalism. I feel privileged to bring voices that need to be heard onto my local TV dial.
The reason it was bad timing is that the nation’s more than 3,000 public access centers are on the verge of extinction. Yours may go next week, next month or next year, but their days are numbered due to statewide cable franchising.
Continue reading Why Public Access Television Is Important and You Should Fight For the CAP ACT
Brief interview on KQED News with Tracy Rosenberg, director of Media Alliance on the digital television transition in September of 2008.
For many, who switched to cable and satellite services with thousands of channels, no big deal. But for some, who still jiggle rabbit ear antennas, the switch is a problem, forcing them to replace their televisions, subscribe to cable service they may not be able to afford, or buy and install a converter box using a government coupon. The people most affected by the change are often elderly, disabled, on fixed incomes or from non-English speaking households. Continue reading The Day TV Goes Away: The Digital Television Transition
By Ryan Kim, San Francisco Chronicle
Local broadcasters who made the switch to digital television at midnight Tuesday reported fewer than expected complaint calls Wednesday, easing fears that the early transition from analog signals would cause widespread disruptions. Continue reading Digital switch goes smoothly for local stations
Originally published in the San Francisco Chronicle
The Obama administration has taken a lot of heat recently for declaring war on Fox News, including from Chronicle columnist Debra J. Saunders. And it’s true that you can’t have presidential staffers ducking press inquiries. But media lies and distortions are another ball game entirely. Let’s look at the record: Continue reading Fox News Is No News Outlet
Media coverage plays a crucial role in educating the public on disability issues. It could–and should–be helping people understand that these are civil-rights issues. But more often than not, reporting on disability perpetuates negative stereotypes or fails to tell the story from the perspective of people with disabilities. Continue reading REPORTING ON DISABILITY, by Suzanne C. Levine
While local TV news remains the most popular source for local information in America, adults rely on it primarily for just three subjects — weather, breaking news and to a lesser extent traffic. Continue reading Pew Study: Word of Mouth Frequent Source of News
