"OH, THE INJUSTICE..."

The editorial board over at the LA times is concerned for Merle Haggard. It seems Merle has written a new song called "That's The News", about “big media firms ... parroting the Bush administration contention that major fighting in Iraq has ended.” They fear he won’t get his song played because big media groups will refuse. Of course, they don’t show any evidence his song is not being played, but the possibility as enough for a screed. They mention how Cumulus Media banned the Blixie Chicks and then go into the party line blah-blah about how ever growing media conglomerates are going to limit what people will hear on the radio and boo-hoo.

Boy, is this ever rich! Check out this quote:

As radio chains grow larger and more powerful, a handful of execs shape the medium to fit their own narrow vision — as giant Clear Channel Communications did after Sept. 11 by tossing songs like "Imagine" and "Bridge Over Troubled Water" off its post-9/11 playlist.

Giant companies that shape the medium to fit their narrow vision? Like Newsweek, that is owned by The Washington Post Company that spiked a story by Michael Isikoff about, what was her name, Monica something? Or maybe NBC stalling an interview by Lisa Myers with Juanita Broaddrick?

The Times doesn’t seem too concerned that every major newspaper is a liberal dominated rag in which 90% of the employees voted for Bill Clinton. But, companies that don’t vote the party ticket, well, they need to be put on a short leash because they’re not fair and balanced.

A quick look on the LA Times website show how they are a Tribune Media Company, part of Times Mirror. Jumping over to the Tribune Media site we get such statistics as,

Tribune Media reaches 80% of America’s households
Tribune Media as 12 major market daily newspapers
Tribune Media has 26 television stations PLUS a superstation, WGN.

Glass houses, boys….glass houses