There are some truly frightening things happening in the U.S. media landscape at the moment, the following extract is from a Boston Globe article.

".....the Federal Communications Commission is expected, by a 3-2 vote, to throw out several decades of regulation limiting media monopolies. The FCC chairman, Michael Powell, is trying to ram the vote through before wider opposition can build, short-circuiting the commission's usual public comment process. Even if legal, Powell's scheme is awful policy. If he wins, all three major networks could be owned by the same conglomerate (which could also be a defense contractor). The limits on cross-ownership of newspapers and radio and TV stations will also be lifted, as will the constraints on networks' ability to buy up local TV stations.

If you want a glimpse into this utopia, consider the deregulation of radio, which Congress enacted in 1996. Before then, the FCC limited how many stations any one company could own, and ownership was widely diversified. It took less than a decade for most US radio stations to be owned by just three conglomerates.

To see the potential for political mischief, look at what conservative radio networks did to the Dixie Chicks after their lead singer criticized President Bush. Cumulus Media banned the Chicks from its 42 country stations and some Clear Channel affiliates promoted record-trashings. Right-wing media are particularly benefiting from the new concentration. Clear Channel, with more than 1,200 radio stations, is dominant in many smaller cities. One of its top executives is a close business associate of George W. Bush. Shouldn't liberals just start a radio network of their own? Good idea, but nearly all of the stations with strong signals are taken, and they're not for sale. Here's where politics and monopoly commerce intersect.

Meanwhile, Rupert Murdoch owns Fox, the fastest growing cable company, and just bought the dominant satellite TV company. With his control of TV programming, Murdoch will soon be in a position to squeeze local cable operators. And with the FCC's new ruling, Murdoch could also buy up the major TV networks."

Another article on this topic can be found at the Mercury News site. I like Dan Gillmor's response:

"We, the people, need to understand what's happening, and why. Then we need to get angry."