*BBC NEWS CHIEF TO MC: WRITE ON*

*ORWELL LIVES*

*AND SO DOES IMPERIALISM*

THE BBC IS CEEING US

First some pleasant news, or at least a sign that mediachannel.org is penetrating into dense media worlds were critical ideas are rarely heard, except at every water cooler in every media office in the world. John Owen, who used to run the Freedom Forum office in London, sent word via email, after I missed it in the daily UK media news digest circulated by the Media Guardian:

“Danny–

Am assuming that someone already noted that in today’s Media Guardian, Richard Sambrook, head of all BBC news and current affairs, lists the mediachannel.org as one of his favorite new media sites. That’s a hell of an endorsement!

“Regards,

“John”

To which vacationing, on hiatus, Mediachannel senior editor Aliza Dichter responded from her garden in upstate New York to my note headlined “WOW!”

Here’s the link for the article mentioning us– it’s an interview with Sambrook about his media diet. This is awesome! Even during hiatus!

http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,764705,00.html

HOT TIME IN THE CITY

We can only hope that other media execs will take note. Meanwhile, back on the ranch, the heat of summer continues to bake all of New York — prompting the usual complaints and cries of woe. But as a friend quipped last night: this is summer. It is supposed to be hot. Good point. I am not sure we can blame this on GW Bush or global warming.

Bush is using the bully pulpit of his office to tell Wall Street, whose fortunes seem to be reviving, if only because of the fire sale in undervalued stocks, to be nice and not cook the books anymore. Ok???? The Democrats are gingerly beginning to make this an issue — even though many of the corporations suspected of dirty tricks were among their donors. Today, labor will be heard, not inside the Exchanges but in the streets.

AFL-CIO President John Sweeney delivers a message on corporate accountability to Wall Street in New York City today at noon. Sweeney, thousands of union members and laid-off workers from WorldCom, Enron and other companies will, says the AFL-CIO, “rally to say no more lost jobs, lost savings and lost trust.”

DOUG DOWD ON THE SEC

My first economics Professor at Cornell–at a time that seems almost innocent compared to the ones we now live in–is Doug Dowd and he is still educating, most recently on the Between the Lines radio show from Connecticut. He explained to Scott Harris:

“The SEC (U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission), which I think everyone now knows about, was created in 1934 as a direct response to the kind of corruption, speculative and gambling behavior that was going on in the usually staid banking community in the 1920s. The SEC, along with the Glass-Steagall Act — which is a congressional piece of legislation that made it illegal for banks to do the kinds of things they had been doing in the 1920s–which made the banks part of a fragile structure — all has gone by the boards. It’s been repealed in effect, going back into the 1980s under President Reagan.

“The SEC has been, in effect, a window dressing operation. It has been understaffed, underpaid; people working in it have been basically unable to do a decent job either in terms of their competence or their funding. That was a deliberate set of processes [that] was also initiated about 25 years ago, and certainly got worse under Reagan.

“The people who had the competence, so to speak, to do the kind of detective work on financial statements and so on, went to work instead for the kind of accounting companies that could pay wages for them to cover up this sort of stuff. They went to work for Arthur Anderson and so on?.

“So now these big companies, when something goes wrong with them, like with Enron, Tyco or Global Crossing or whatever company we might be talking about, (we have) a kind of big spider web now instead of a rope or a string as it used to be. And it has real consequences, not just financial and stock market consequences.

“WARNING BELL IN THE NIGHT”

So the stock market is in some sense a warning bell that is going off in the night. And the corruption that has preceded the really sharp contraction of the stock market is something that is endemic to the system now; it isn’t something that is happening here or there, it is something that became natural, normal and doable with impunity in the 1990s?.”

WELCOME MEDIA UNSPUN

As for media companies on decline or on the mend, The Guardian is reporting: “Thomas Middelhoff and Jean-Marie Messier must be ruing their attempts to give their respective companies US-style makeovers?. Now that their high-flying maverick CEO Thomas Middelhoff has been shown the door, Bertelsmann execs on both sides of the Atlantic are bracing for far-reaching changes. VARIETY reports: “A French consulting firm, hired in February by then-CEO Jean-Marie Messier, has advised Vivendi Universal to chop 130 corporate jobs in New York — about half the staff — as the debt-heavy conglom looks to cut costs.”

“And what about Mr. Middelhof? The best coverage of his fall from grace appears in MEDIA UNSPUN, once known as MEDIA GROK in its days as an arm of the long departed INDUSTRY STANDARD, a mediachannel affiliate and bible of the Internet industry before the bubble burst. MEDIA UNSPUN, edited with the same caustic and informed style by Jimmy Gutterman–in his bucolic headquarters on scenic Martha’s Vineyard–has just agreed to work with Media Channel and the Globalvision News Network. Here’s part of Lori Patel’s report:

“Did he dance or was he pushed? The BBC and Wall Street Journal said Middelhoff quit, but both Timeses (New York and London) insist the idea wasn’t his. Reporters were left to speculate since no one was able to reach Middelhoff himself. Adding to the murk were German reports that Deutsche Telekom was planning to pick Middelhoff to take the place of its own ousted CEO. Did news of Middelhoff’s departure simply set off rumors of a new post? Or did he have Deutsche Telekom on hold as he walked into a final showdown with the Bertelsmann board? DT won’t tell.

“Middelhoff’s departure came as ?a surprise,’ many pointed out, which seemed one way of apologizing for the loose reporting that followed. Here’s a story so variously assembled that one cannot tell whether Middelhoff used to run the world’s fifth- or third-largest media company. Following a statement from the company, most reporters painted the departure as the result of a personality clash, though they did not agree just what Middelhoff’s personality might be. Anyway, he was young, everyone agreed. Just 49 years old. He liked Napster. And Bertelsmann itself was 167. It was shy. Its chief shareholder had seen 81 Octoberfests. The company started out publishing hymnals, ja? It was a family company. And there was Napster-loving, Britney Spears-record-label-buying Middelhoff. How could such a marriage last? No wonder the board turned to 59-year-old company veteran Gunter Thielen, head of the family foundation and, as two outlets put it, a man who offered “a safe pair of hands.” So, you see, the breakup was really no surprise, except that — as so many outlets pointed out — it was a surprise … That is to say, what were we saying?

“Ultimately, the culture clash explanations fail to satisfy. After all, Middelhoff had been speaking for four years about taking the company public. And it had been over a year since he took the first moves toward that process, with the board’s approval. If a company grows frustrated with its leadership, think money. Reporters got as far as tracking the general economic trends (a steep decline in the value of public media companies, for instance, and a 5% drop-off in global music sales). But except for some off-the-record murmurings, there was little concrete information about how Bertelsmann is weathering the storm. Caught up in the Britney dust, few outlets mentioned how much Middelhoff paid for her label: $3 billion. And fewer still noted that just this month Bertelsmann had to pull a 1 billion Euro bond offering, meant to finance such investments. “Financial woes apparently were not an issue at Bertelsmann, which said its first-half operating earnings were on target this year.” Thus spake TheStreet.com. And how could one argue? The financial records of the world’s largest publisher remain exquisitely private.

SHH…. MEDIAOCRACY RULES

Middelhoff’s deputy and star appointee, former Trustbuster Joel Klein of Microsoft trial fame, has just bailed from the company too. He was named new Schools Chancellor in New York City in an elitist manner that made a mockery of democracy. Noted the New York Times: “Mr. Bloomberg (New York’s billionaire media mogul mayor) moved secretly, consulting with few?” This is how rule by mediaocracy works with a mayor who runs the city as if he is a TV director calling shots in a control room.

MINISTRY OF TRUTH

The US Government is taking another stab at creating its own Ministry of Truth a la George Orwell’s 1984, from which critics say President Bush is lifting many of his ideas for waging a “total war.” Reports the Washington Post: “The Bush White House has decided to transform what was a temporary effort to rebut Taliban disinformation about the Afghan war into a permanent, fully staffed “Office of Global Communications” to coordinate the administration’s foreign policy message and supervise America’s image abroad, according to senior officials.”

Who is going to rebut US government disinformation?

For starters, the UN might: The NY Times reports today that:

“In Rare Move, U.N. Reviews a U.S. Attack on Afghans:

“The United Nations said on Monday that it had conducted an investigation into the July 1 American airstrikes in Oruzgan Province, where villagers say more than 50 civilians died.” Reuters reported on this yesterday in a story picked up in England, not the US:

“A draft U.N. report has found that U.S. might have covered up evidence relating to the bombing of an Afghan wedding party earlier this month that killed about 50 people, the London Times reported on Monday.

The newspaper said the preliminary report found no corroboration of U.S. claims that its aircraft had launched a retaliatory attack after being fired upon. It had also found other discrepancies in U.S. accounts of what happened.

?The Times quoted the report as saying that coalition forces had arrived on the scene very quickly after the airstrikes and “cleaned the area,” removing evidence of shrapnel, bullets and traces of blood. U.S. forces had also committed human rights violations by tying up the hands of women at the scene, the paper said.

THE BIG I IS BACKHow will this item be treated? As Taliban disinformation? The situation in Afghanistan seems to be deteriorating daily. On Sunday, the New York Times Magazine of July 28 came out of the closet after months and months of echoing Administration claims with Michael Ignatief’s “case for committed American Imperialism” as the only way to keep Afghanistan from falling apart. Imperialism? That was a word rarely used in connection with the United States by its newspaper of record.

Other countries like the Soviet Union, or even Britain, practiced imperialism. But never the good ?ole USA. The Big I, as I call it, was a banned word. Now it is being trotted out right on the cover of the magazine section. Writes Ignatief, and I have to put this in caps if only because these words appear not in some left-wing, bash America outlet, but in the mighty gray lady where the news is fit to print.

“IN FACT, AMERICA’S ENTIRE WAR ON TERROR IS AN EXERCISE IN IMPERIALISM.

This may come as a shock to Americans who don’t like to think of their country as an Empire.”

The difference between the New York Times account, and the articles of John Pilger in the Mirror in London — is that Ignatief approves of Imperialism and wants more of it while Pilger opposes it with every ounce of his powers of rhetoric.”

Perhaps the most graphic illustration of all this — especially to Afghans — is the spectacle of US troops taking over security duties for President Karzai. As Newsweek noted in its current issue when it prominently quoted an unnamed Afghan commando who says: “WHOSE PRESIDENT WILL HE BE IF HE IS NOT GUARDED BY AFGHAN SOLDIERS?”Good question.

STOP SUICIDE BOMBINGS

There was another suicide bombing in Israel today, but the bomber died and seven people were injured outside a falafel joint in Jerusalem. As it turns out Jesse Jackson is in Israel (being filmed by my pal Hart Perry) as he calls on the Palestinians to stop the bombings and turn to non-violent protest. He meets with Hamas today. Actually, Palestinian sources report that that is already happening, at least in he town of Nablus, PM Watch reports: “For two days in a row now, Nablus residents have mobilized en masse and have defied the 24 hour “curfew” imposed on them 40 days ago by the IDF. This new development is probably the single most important event since the breakout of the intifada almost two years ago: if it catches on in other West Bank cities, towns, and villages, it has the potential of completely changing the dynamics of the conflict, at once rendering IDF tactics ineffective and ushering in a new era of massive non-violent resistance to the occupation”

Meanwhile international agencies, and even Israel’s Ariel Sharon, report a mounting humanitarian crisis in Palestinian communities with starvation on the rise. They are sending out an SOS. South African charities have sent a planeload with food and other aid. Where are America’s Jews on this crisis? Where are America’s Muslims and Christians, too? The New York Times is also reporting massive economic deprivation in Haiti where the US and European countries have blocked aid to President Aristide’s government, but like in Iraq, the sanctions seem to be hurting ordinary people more.

COSTS OF WAR

Speaking of Iraq, there seems to be see-sawing in the press, with bellicose statements and leaked war plans one moment, followed by expressions of concern the next. Today the Times is worrying about the costs of a new war:

“Because the U.S. would have to pay most of the cost and bear the brunt of any oil price shock, an American attack on Iraq could profoundly affect the economy.”

There has even been an unexpected eruption of sanity in the Pentagon according to the Washington Post. Thomas Ricks reported on Sunday:

“Despite President Bush’s repeated bellicose statements about Iraq, many senior U.S. military officers contend that President Saddam Hussein poses no immediate threat and that the United States should continue its policy of containment rather than invade Iraq to force a change of leadership in Baghdad.

“The conclusion, which is based in part on intelligence assessments of the state of Hussein’s nuclear, chemical and biological weapons programs and his missile delivery capabilities, is increasing tensions in the administration over Iraqi policy.

“The cautious approach — held by some top generals and admirals in the military establishment, including members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — is shaping the administration’s consideration of war plans for Iraq, which are being drafted at the direction of Bush and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld.”

RITTER DENOUNCES HEARINGS

“The Senate hearings on Iraq get underway tomorrow. Scott Ritter, the former UN weapons inspector who was once seen as a hawk is now the leading dove. He said of these hearings:

“Sen. Joe Biden is running a sham hearing. It is clear that Biden and most of the Congressional leadership have pre-ordained a conclusion that seeks to remove Saddam Hussein from power regardless of the facts, and are using these hearings to provide political cover for a massive military attack on Iraq. These hearings have nothing to do with an objective search for the truth, but rather seek to line up like-minded witnesses who will buttress this pre-determined result…. This isn’t American democracy in action, it’s the failure of American democracy.”

ORWELL DENOUNCES WAR

As we think about war, the Administration and Iraq, we might actually dip into the words of George Orwell, who was hardly a proponent of violence as the only means of advancing national interests. Here are some of his words of wisdom

“In our own day they are not fighting against one another at all. The war is waged by each ruling group against its own subjects, and the object of war is not to make or prevent conquests of territory, but to keep the structure of society intact.”

“…the object of waging war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war.”

“The primary aim of modern warfare…is to use up the products of the machine without raising the general standard of living. Ever since the end of the19th century, the problem of what to do with the surplus of consumption goods has been latent in industrial society.”

“War, it will be seen, not only accomplishes the necessary destruction, but accomplishes it in a psychologically acceptable way? possible on a basis of poverty and ignorance.”

George Orwell 1984

RADIO, RADIO: “BOTTOMS FOUND NEW BOTTOMS”

As I noted yesterday when I reported on the CONCLAVE, the conference of radio folks in the Midwest, there was much unhappiness with the monopoly control exerted by ClearChannel. Tom Kay, their executive director wrote: “Continuing changes inside and outside our industry have not always had the kindest consequences. Last fall, they took a further turn. Bottom lines found new bottoms. Budgets became excuses for exclusion?.”NOW THE TIME HAS COME FOR AN UPRISING.” Now listeners are getting into the act with this urgent action call from a mediawatch group:

“We are calling for the permanent suspension of shock jock host Mickey Esparza (aka) “the perpetrator.” He is based in Dallas, TX and has a very popular show on KSJO 92.7 FM 3-7 pm, one of the South Bay’s most popular programs. He can also be heard on 105.3 in San Diego, and 97.1 KEGL inDallas, Texas.

“On Wednesday July 24th at 4:45 pm he told listeners that if they are kidnappers, “Let’s say, for instance, you’re somebody that is a kidnapper.Think of all the nylon rope you could get at Orchard Supply Hardware. Plus, they sell tarps. I’m sure they sell lye to dissolve the body.'’

“Earlier in the same show he was referring to the little 7-year old girl who escaped in Philadelphia by chewing through the duct tape when he said,”That’s why I don’t use duct tape. That’s why I use nylon rope.” His comments were made on the same day as the memorial for the recently raped and murdered 5-year-old Samantha from Orange County, California.”

THE WORLD TO COME

Here is a case of radio actively encouraging violence. In other places, media just messes with the mind. When I was downtown last night cheering on singer Stephan Smith in his new radio show venture, “THE WORLD TO COME.”

Poet Bob Holman, whose new poetry caf頯n the Bowery hosted the taping (and what a cool place he’s got, next door to the DV Dojo) which teaches video skills, gave me a copy of fellow poet Ed Sanders Woodstock Journal, a free newspaper he published in the old hippie hangout of Woodstock, New York. (No, the music festival was not held there but appropriated the town’s name. Ed, a Yippie in the days when Abbie Hoffman rode high on the Lower East Side, reports that his legendary band THE FUGS are coming out with a new CD featuring Tuli Kupferberg on “Septuagenarian in Love.” (I am telling you all this on the day that one time rock and roll rebel Bruce Springsteen is all over national TV hyping his new album.)

TV BLIGHT

The Journal has a great media story in it of the battle by video activists in Woodstock to take over what Sanders describes as a “Horrid to watch television station.” It is the story if a town meeting to discuss the future of Channel 23, which Sanders describes for its “wiggle wobbling screen, sound signal unhearable and scroll of station programs flashing.” The story reports on efforts by DeeDee Halleck, the community media guru and a Supervisor named Wilber, who likes the unwatchable station.

Sanders denounces it in no uncertain terms as “a disgrace, an embarrassment, an ugly, hideously humming, blue-back dropped, low-light level blight to the eyes, ears and mind.” And those were just the compliments. For an alternative check out the story on ONE WORLD TV in yesterday’s Guardian:

http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,764719,00.html

And so we move day after tomorrow into August, the summer’s halfway point. I will be traveling at month’s end but plan to be here until then pounding away, hopefully with your continued support. Write to me at dissector@mediachannel.org

Plus, there’s a big article on OneWorld TV we should read:
http://media.guardian.co.uk/mediaguardian/story/0,7558,764719,00.html