Film Review

Written, Produced and Directed by: Sue Wilson

Genre: Documentary

Principal actors: Sue Wilson, Jane Akre, Phil Donahue, Naomi Judd, Helen Thomas

Screening Date: September 23, 2009 Kansas International Film Festival

Film length: 77 minutes

Rating: unrated

Reviewed by Deborah Ground Buckner

Sue Wilson leads the charge: “We the People are Taking the Media Back” in her documentary Broadcast Blues. The film addresses the issues of media stations owned by large corporations, the Fairness Doctrine, indecency, “hate” radio, distortion of the news, a loss of investigative reporting, and a Federal Communications Commission slow to act and often failing to enforce its own regulations.

That's a lot of issues to cover in 77 minutes. Any one of the topics alone could provide sufficient fodder for a documentary. The theme of overall consumer outrage is well expressed through the multitude of offenses, but the result is a film that “preaches to the choir.” Viewers who already agree with her position will love this film; those opposed or undecided on these issues will not find sufficient support from her arguments to be swayed.

There are many offenses that can be listed on the issue of large corporations taking over local radio stations. The local disc jockeys I grew up with who played Top 40 songs (at my phoned-in request) and even put together a team to challenge local high school teachers at basketball, creating fun events and fund-raisers for schools, are a thing of the past. When Entercom moved into Kansas City, one of its first acts was to take a long-beloved classical radio station from the FM dial and move it to AM; I haven't been able to pick it up since. The same company took the city's favorite classic radio station, so attached to its AM slot that it was known as “61Country,” fired all the announcers who had come to be community friends, moved it to FM and changed the format completely to “Young Country.” These are clearly decisions directly traceable to corporate policy that hurt the community.

Some of the complaints raised in the film are not necessarily the result of the rise of corporate broadcasting. For example, much of the first part of the film is an attempt to tie the rise of corporate radio into the decline of the Fairness Doctrine. The Fairness Doctrine, adopted in 1949, required holders of broadcast licenses to present controversial issues of public importance and allow discussion of all viewpoints on the issue. Following a series of Supreme Court challenges to the constitutionality of the doctrine and the growth in media markets, the FCC repealed the doctrine in 1987. Almost simultaneous with this development came the Reagan Administration's move to deregulation, allowing large conglomerates to own many broadcast stations throughout the country, and, also in this time period came a radio personality named Rush Limbaugh.

No argument for the re-adoption of the Fairness Doctrine would be complete without an attack on the Limbaugh phenomenon, and so it is included in this film, using grainy video of Limbaugh at the microphone, since he declined to be interviewed for the film. Holding Limbaugh out as a radio “newsman” who distorts the truth, Wilson does not address Limbaugh's self-described radio personality as “an entertainer,” nor the issue of whether a majority of corporate radio stations carry his programming because of the huge listening audience he draws, rather than his politics. Corporations are in the business of making money, and if liberal talk radio personalities drew the same audience, it's a certainty they would be on the air. This issue is not addressed. The argument is made that a saturation of conservative “hate” talk radio in particular market areas is making states turn from “blue” to “red,” a statement that loses support in light of the most recent U.S. Presidential election.

The film also makes the assertion that “the media is killing people.” To support this argument, the film includes the story of the derailment of a train carrying toxic materials near Minot, North Dakota. A cloud of deadly ammonia gas drifted from the site, reaching the city and creating a life-threatening situation. The local radio station, owned by Clear Channel Communications, Inc., with headquarters some 1200 miles away, carried no coverage of the story. Instead, the radio played pre-programmed music with occasional breaks for time and temperature. At the time, Clear was consolidating several radio stations into one building and did not have local telephone service connected during the move. One man died after going outside. The assertion that Clear Channel's policy killed this man, though, is a bit of a jump for a documentary. Was there only one radio station in the area? If so, if it had broadcast a warning, would this man have been listening? If so, would he have stayed inside or chosen to go out anyway?

On the matter of news distortion, Wilson makes a more compelling case, citing an instance of a news story by Jane Akre for a Fox News station. Akre reported on the issue of hormones injected into milk and the dangers that result. After a complaint to the station by Monsanto, the station pulled the story and ordered Akre to change it. When she refused, she was fired, and the story ran substantially altered. Akre has been involved in litigation since on the issue of “distorting the news” and whether this act, in violation of FCC regulation, is also a violation of law.

Wilson cites a decline in aggressive investigative reporting. The film states journalists no longer ask hard questions for fear of losing access to the President. This raises a real issue that should be addressed in journalism schools around the country and among broadcast editorial boards. If broadcast media truly belongs to the people, then the media representatives should ask those difficult questions that affect the public interest.

Wilson also addresses the issue of media responsibility, citing the case of Jennifer Strange, who died of water intoxication after drinking nearly two gallons of water for a contest sponsored by Entercom-owned station 107.9 in Sacramento. Contestants had to drink water every fifteen minutes; the only who could go the longest without a trip to the bathroom would win a Nintendo Wii. The morning disc jockeys involved in the stunt were fired immediately, but the FCC did not revoke the station's license, and, in fact, issued several more licenses to Entercom. Wilson is following a civil case relating to the matter, which may become the basis for her next documentary.

Wilson reveals a great piece of detective work in instructing the public how to request revocation of a license to a broadcast station. At the FCC website, it is necessary to enter not the logical search words such as “repeal,” “complaint,” “revocation,” or “suspension,” but to type in “petition to deny.” She also includes important advice for how the public can take back the media, through education programs in both public and journalism schools, erecting low power radio stations, supporting independent broadcasters.

Broadcast Blues has important issues; a little more focus and better support for its positions would have made it a better film.

For more information, visit: http://www.broadcastblues.tv.

Written by :

Deborah

 

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