Fighting for Air

January 1, 2007
Klinenberg is clearly aiming to deliver theFast Food Nation of corporate media, and his disdain for conglomerates blares from every page, constantly reminding readers that a handful of companies have a stranglehold on media outlets, subverting the public interest for the sake of profit. It's a grim world where radio stations can't inform their listeners about local disasters because all the programming is recorded at a studio in some other state, where TV newscasters don't bother covering state elections, and even the alternative press has given its pages over to advertisers. The author's coverage appears scattershot, because it tries to take in as much of the media landscape as possible, but each section is extensively reported, and the pieces do finally fit together in the final chapters. As Klinenberg details former FCC chairman Michael Powell's efforts to loosen restrictions on how many American television stations one corporation can own, the story becomes a perfect convergence of his issues with large corporate entities and the Bush administration, as well as his enthusiasm for grassroots civic activism. His impassioned call to restore local journalism and its role in creating informed, engaged communities is sure to strike a chord with readers.

April 7, 2008
Klinenberg doesn't write the sort of prose that lends itself to vocal hijinks, but there is much irony and anger in this important exposé and Tom Weiner, in a deep, resonant voice, expresses those sentiments well. The difficulty with the audio is keeping the players straight: the executives at mega-media corporations; the call letters and personnel at radio stations; and activists at the FCC (an "instrument of corporate greed"). What can be skimmed by the reader can become confusing to the listener. Klinenberg's theme is the homogenization of national news and the threat that poses to democracy as media conglomerates acquire hundreds of stations, eliminate local talent and create multiple stations in one location. They develop standardized programming with fake local inserts and build a series of "local" TV sets. Employees won't speak out against the war or the president for fear of being fired, while artists are afraid of being blacklisted. Klinenberg's efforts are well researched and convincing, but the book is easier to digest than the audio. Simultaneous release with the Metropolitan Books hardcover (Reviews, Nov. 20, 2007).

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