Another Industry (Well Part of an Industry) To Get a Bailout?

[Perchoutofwater]

Democrats seek financial rescue of minority-owned broadcasters

By Silla Brush

Posted: 05/19/09 06:13 PM [ET]

High-ranking House Democrats are urging the Treasury Department to prop up minority-owned broadcasters suffering from a lack of capital and lost advertising revenue amid the economic slump.

 

House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) is leading an effort to convince Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner to take “decisive action” by extending credit to this sector of the broadcasting industry.

 

Clyburn and other senior members, including House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank (D-Mass.) and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), argue that minority-owned broadcasters are sound businesses, but that the recession could undermine the government’s efforts to diversify the airwaves.

 

A number of members from the Congressional Black Caucus signed the letter, too.

 

“While many jobs are at stake, a more important principle — the government’s fundamental interest in promoting a diversity of voices, including service to underserved communities — is severely threatened,” the members write in a draft of a letter that was scheduled to be sent Tuesday.

 

The letter comes as some of the biggest recipients of government bailout money, including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, jockey to repay government bailout money. As banks seek a way out from the government’s restrictions, other industries struggle and seek government support. Some firms seeking to repay the government argue that the government’s restrictions have burdened their businesses.

 

The congressmen suggest the Treasury Department could provide access to capital to minority-owned broadcasters, which they say represent less than 7 percent of full-power radio stations and a “negligible” ownership of television stations.

 

“They are looking for continued access to capital to continue their otherwise fundamentally sound operations,” the members write.

 

The letter suggests Treasury could set up a credit facility specific to the industry, similar to the government’s efforts to support auto suppliers, or possibly set up a program for bridge financing and government-backed loans until the economy improves.

 

“In addition to the credit crisis, also weighing heavily on minority broadcasters is a significant decline in advertising revenues, particularly the loss of automobile advertising,” the congressmen write.

 

The members are asking for a meeting with the Treasury Department and minority-owned broadcast entities and representatives from the National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters.

 

Other members signing the letter are Democratic Reps. Bobby Rush (Ill.), Edolphus Towns (N.Y.), Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.), Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Gregory Meeks (N.Y.), G.K. Butterfield (N.C.), Barbara Lee (Calif.), Lynn Woolsey (Calif.) and Bennie Thompson (Miss.)

 

Do what? I thought the government wasn't to limit speech, I didn't know it was to provide it. Look at the people signing the letter, notice anything about them, or the states they come from?

[dmarc117]

free markets!!!!! let the people decide!!!!!

[Pope Flick]

Before all the misinformed and outraged people begin once again screaming about something they have no idea about - like the Fair Use Doctrine thread from a few months back - let me just say the reason these broadcasters are hurting isn't due to so much as the economy but because this industry is undergoing a massive change at the moment and traditional source of broadcast revenue are drying up.

 

Look at the recent labor issues with Writers, Actors and Directors. That is more relevant to this issue than the down economy: these people would be hurting regardless. Everytthing is moving online in a very reall and very quick fashion, and some companies cannot keep up.

 

And no - they should not be bailed out. In fact, given the industry they should certainly be exempt from bailouts.

[dmarc117]

what if we bailed out the dinosaurs back when the great asteroid crisis arose. we would be the pets. let the weaker species go away and let the stronger species live on.

[WaterMan]

what if we bailed out the dinosaurs back when the great asteroid crisis arose. we would be the pets. let the weaker species go away and let the stronger species live on.

 

i know change is scary. but that's all America has been doing since it's been founded.

[dmarc117]

i know change is scary. but that's all America has been doing since it's been founded.

 

 

forced change is a very scary thing. natural change is not.

[i_am_the_swammi]

what if we bailed out the dinosaurs back when the great asteroid crisis arose. we would be the pets. let the weaker species go away and let the stronger species live on.

 

forced change is a very scary thing. natural change is not.

 

natural change is not scary? If we entered an ice age or experienced a sudden surge of global warming or our planet expereinced massive plate movement that caused devastating earthquakes and/or tidal surges, you'd be OK with everything?? Not try to "bail anyone out", just let the weaker parts of the globe die off?

 

I'd be pretty freaked out.