NP media concentration

[Doug Millison]

Sparky, what's good for business ...

http://www.fair.org/activism/cross-ownership.html

"Guarding and protecting the public interest is supposed to be central to
the FCC's mission, but Powell has expressed some confusion about the very
concept. When asked in February what he thought the term "public interest"
meant (press conference, 2/6/01), he responsed: "I have no idea. The public
interest at its core is the same thing as my oath of office: a commitment to
making sure the American consumer is benefited.... I try to make the best
judgment I can in ways I think will benefit consumers. Beyond that I don't
know. I'm still trying to figure it out." 
Powell is not always so confused about whose interests he represents:
Appearing before the House subcommittee on telecommunications (Washington
Post, 3/30/01), Powell referred to broadcast corporations as "our clients."
Powell has also mocked the concept of unequal access to technology, often
referred to as the digital divide: "I think there is a Mercedes divide," he
said (New York Times, 2/7/01). "I'd like to have one; I can't afford one."