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Announcement :: Media |
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Free Speech TV Needs Your Help! |
Current rating: 0 |
by Brian
Email: geoforce (nospam) care2.com (verified) |
11 Jun 2003
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Tell Direct TV to carry Free Speech TV. Working with activists and artists, Free Speech TV uses television to cultivate an informed and active citizenry in order to advance progressive social change. Most Americans get their news from TV. Help decide what we get to watch. |
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/807767103
Tell Direct TV to carry Free Speech TV.
Free Speech TV is a groundbreaking Independent channel from a Progressive perspective that runs counter to the commercialism of other networks, and the quality of their programming rivals PBS. FSTV has shown great documentaries that you won't find anywhere else; like "Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media", and "The Gaza Strip", and has America's best show: "Democracy Now!" with Amy Goodman, which features in-depth discussion, and speeches from celebrated people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X., Howard Zinn, and Ralph Nader. FSTV has given substantive coverage to activism and political issues that concern the public. FSTV gives comfort during national crisis, is generally inspiring and challenging, and has great potential.
Direct TV is America's largest satellite provider with 11 million subscribers. Direct TV has said they have added channels in the past due to viewer demand. FSTV is a Public Interest Channel, and by law satellite providers like the Dish and Direct TV must give 4% of their space to these channels. FSTV has applied to Direct TV every year since they started in 1995. FSTV is carried by the Dish Network but not Direct TV. Whether you are a Direct TV subscriber yet or not, more people should be able to see FSTV. If this sounds like your kind of network please ask Direct TV to carry FSTV, and let's see if this great network can expand during a post war lull. If you support Independent Media and want more Quality Television than please sign this petition.
I recently wrote a feedback letter to Direct TV suggesting that they carry my favorite television network Free Speech TV. They replied that they appreciated my input, that they have even added channels in the past due to feedback, and that he would send my feedback to another department. That was pretty good, so I thought: "I wonder how would they respond to a petition with a thousand signitures asking them to carry FSTV." So far I only have about a hundred signitures, and worse still, I heard that Rupert Murdoch is in the process of buying Direct TV. Now I am asking for your help.
Television is the dominant form of media communication in our culture, and most Americans get their news from TV. Yet TV is not always the most reliable source for news. During the Gulf War II, about 37% of Americans said they relied on FOX News for most of their war coverage. An unbeleivable figure. Some Dish suscribers who are able to watch Free Speech TV have said that they appreciate having the choice of whether to watch a network like Fox, or a real alternative like FSTV to get a more complete view of events. But of course this is about more than just a choice between channels to flip to. A real alternative to networks like FOX would mean a lower percentage of the total population of United States viewers who's media is controlled by one outlet.
Free Speech TV is such an alternative. As such it has great potential. The potential is that anyone who has views to express and important stories to tell which matter to many Americans, but which are not sufficiently represented in current television media, now have an outlet to do so whereas before they did not. This is something new, and this is real progress rather than the superficial progress of having lots of channels and a remote control. And the information which is made available to the public helps determine our decision making process.
But television's influence also goes beyond TV Land. On television you can hold up a book and people will read it, interview a radio host and people will tune in, or discuss an issue and people will take action.
If you think that the media needs to be more independent, and report on more issues that matter to you, please lend a hand, sign the petition, send feedback to Direct TV, and help spread the word. If we all speak with one voice we will find that we are able to obtain a healthy functioning media that we can believe in. Thank you.
The Future of Television Media is Viewer Supported!
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/807767103
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/glb/Form_Feedback.jsp
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See also:
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/807767103
http://www.directv.com/DTVAPP/glb/Form_Feedback.jsp
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