Website Tells Readers FCC Media Ownership Decision Affects Choice of Music on Radio

WASHINGTON – Rock the Vote, an ultra-liberal organization aimed at steering America\’s youth to left-wing causes, has mounted a campaign to generate letters to Congress in favor of re-regulating media ownership. The website tells readers that the FCC\’s recent media ownership decision will allow one company to own every radio station. The only problem? It\’s not true.

On June 2, the FCC held its Biennial Media Ownership Review, in which the Commission voted to raise the limit on the number of television stations a network can own from 35 percent to 45 percent of household reach, and to lift the ban on newspapers purchasing stations in the same city. With the exception of a relatively non-controversial ruling tightening regulation of radio ownership, the entirety of the FCC\’s ruling related to ownership of television stations and newspapers.

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If you thought all your local radio stations were starting to sound the same, it\’s about to get a lot worse.

The government agency that oversees radio and TV stations recently approved a plan that could allow one big company to own every radio station that you listen to.

What will happen to your music when one company sets the playlists? What if an artist\’s style of expression – or social views – have not caught on yet? Who will be in control? Think about it!

Please join Rock the Vote in calling on the Senate to overturn this bad plan.

That is what this webpage is for: to help you send a letter to your Senators. Acting together, we can create an outcry – and we have a shot to win it in the Senate.

From RocktheVote.org\’s Action Center – emphasis added

But not according to Rock the Vote,
which claims that the FCC "recently approved a plan that would allow one
big company to own every radio station that you listen to." Not only is this an incorrect characterization of the FCC\’s recent ruling, but also comes seven years after radio ownership was largely deregulated by the 1996 Telecommunications Act.

"It would be nice to think that Rock
the Vote just employs lazy fact checkers," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform. "But unfortunately, it\’s much more likely that this is designed to mislead young people into creating a phony outcry over a commonsense ruling that scares liberals."

Despite the blatant falsehoods on its website, Rock the Vote urges readers to "be informed of the issues that affect you and those you love." Apparently, "misinformed" will do.