Sunday, April 22, 2007

They're at it again... or My Letter to My Congress People 4-22-07

None of us can afford our own radio station. We spent many years stuck in the gutter of broadcasting hell. Corporate rule over the airwaves has completely homogenized them and their power castrated our every attempt to take them back. The fees that have kept broadcasting in the hands of the elite have completely sucked the life out of FM radio. There is no reason to support Clear Channel stations because they play only lowest common denominator music that is not challenging or interesting in any way. If we are to survive this cultural wasteland we have created for ourselves, we need a way to find new sources of art and and music.

Internet Radio gave us such a choice. We can listen to radio stations or podcasts without the hampering of corporate control and the horror of premeditated playlists. Also, these internet radio stations that are completely virgin to corporate domination actually play music that would not be heard otherwise. It might be that the music is too advanced or follows no marketing trend, but these artists deserve a chance to get heard. I can see no reason to homogenize everything that has a chance to be free in this country and this is definitely a question of freedom. Don't forget- corporations are not citizens. They should not have more rights than voters do, regardless of how much money they contribute to whom. The people of this country deserve better than to be pandered to by music trends that meander and linger on until we all want to put a bullet through our radio sets.

All in all, these fees against the internet radio community is a crime against American cultural development. I'm sure everyone in Washington is tired of having citizens bring up the First Amendment, but we just can't help it. What is free about corporate owned opinions and music? What is free about squeezing the life out of something that makes so many people feel better about their existence? Finally, what is free about letting corporations rule this country instead of the people?

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