Murdoch Wins in Washington And Families Lose in Living Room

Cable World,  Nov 11, 2002  

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To the Editor:

Your report "All Eyes on Murdoch" (Nov. 4) said FCC regulators in Washington already have a file prepared with Rupert Murdoch's name on it less then a week after the Department of Justice pulled the plug on EchoStar's bid to purchase DirecTV.

Murdoch - king of low-minded TV - pulled every available political string to try to derail the merger of EchoStar and DirecTV so he can get control of DirecTV himself. The rejection of EchoStar/DirecTV is exactly what Murdoch wanted!

Now American families are faced with the very real prospect that Murdoch will buy DirecTV at a fire-sale price and air the kind of lowbrow programming that has dominated his Fox Television Network. Fox has been airing shows like Girl Next Door: Search for a Playboy Centerfold and Temptation Island II during the early time slot when children are expected to be watching.

American families should shudder at the thought of Murdoch in charge of DirecTV, the nation's largest satellite TV carrier.

Unfortunately, the FCC and DoJ have caved in to Murdoch's campaign. Rejecting the merger virtually shoves DirecTV into Murdoch's hands, rewarding political trickery over legitimate debate. That is an unthinkable setback to family values and broadcast decency. Penny Young Nance President Kids First Coalition Alexandria, Va.

In the article mentioned above, the statement that staffers at the FCC were "preparing file folders marked 3M, a waggish rubric for Murdoch, Malone and Microsoft" was not meant by those staffers to be taken literally. - Ed.

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