Saturday, July 02, 2005
Welcome to Moonbat TV
Concerned that "serious news and full-spectrum debate... are disappearing from television"? Losing sleep over the fact that "across the globe, news media are concentrated in the hands of a few entertainment conglomerates whose interests determine news coverage"?
Despair no more. Welcome to Independent World Television:
The first broadcast is still long way away, but the work of citizen media moguls has already begun:
Not surprisingly, denizens of Democratic Underground are getting very excited about having their very own channel:
And lastly this lonely voice of concern:
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Despair no more. Welcome to Independent World Television:
We need a news and current affairs network that defends the public interest and the highest standards of journalism. Independent World Television will be such a network, a non-profit broadcast service financed by viewers across the globe -- independent of corporate or government funding and commercial advertising.And just in case you had any doubts, a quick look at the founding committee will quickly dispel them: Medea Benjamin, Tony Benn, Helen Caldicott, Linda Foley (yes, her), Janeane Garofalo, Naomi Klein, Lewis Lapham, Jonathan Schell, Gore Vidal, Howard Zinn, and representatives of just about every well and not-so-well known far-left political and media group around will ensure that some ideas that are too scary even for the anti-Bush mainstream media will get international airing.
The first broadcast is still long way away, but the work of citizen media moguls has already begun:
The network is raising a $7 million start-up budget from individual donors and foundations. The MacArthur, Ford and Phoebe Haas Trust foundations and the Canadian Auto Workers Union have contributed to a planning study. In its next phase, IWTnews will build the online community necessary for an international mass fundraising campaign launching in early 2006. The campaign will use concerts and media events headlined by socially-conscious celebrities to drive the internet fundraising. If half a million people in the entire world contribute just $50, IWTnews will secure the $25 million it needs to fund its first year of broadcasting, in 2007.The project shouldn't be beyond the reach of the crazy left - "Think of the 15 million people who demonstrated against war in Iraq on one day in 2003. Think of the internet fundraising successes of MoveOn.org and the Howard Dean presidential campaign. Members of the Dean fundraising operation are already on board" - the activists have proven quite dismal at winning elections or influencing policy outcomes but very good at mobilizing the fringe, which is what this exercise is all about - a serious competition for the major networks it won't be, but it will again serve to convince the "not in my name" crowd of their deep relevance to today's world by creating another global echo chamber.
Not surprisingly, denizens of Democratic Underground are getting very excited about having their very own channel:
Our last chance to save democracy at this point...But among all the DU strangeness, one voice stood out:
It's the best news I've gotten since November 2000!!!
This is one of the few greatest things to happen since The Fairness Doctrine was dismantled...
I usually donate to the UN every month, but their complete lack of movement over Sudan and Zimbabwe has really worn thin on my support. I think from now on I'll divert the funds to this network. Even though I don't watch television, perhaps this network will spotlight their foot shuffling and snap them back to the reason why they exist.An angry left network that will criticize the United Nations over two crises that don't involve American troops killing anyone? Hell, I would pay to see that.
And lastly this lonely voice of concern:
I worry it will end up being a network that just preaches to the choir and middle of the road people and conservatives blow it off as biased.Precisely to prevent that, the organizers have involved in the project such mainstream voices as Naomi Klein and Howard Zinn. Sleep easy.
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