EKB News

 

In a hearing held this week by the Senate Commerce Committe's Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller, D-W.Va., Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, turned a discussion on recent disputes between broadcasters and cable operators to a more pressing topic on his mind: the 24-hour presence of Fox News and MSNBC on cable television, and the 24-hour news cycle. In particular, he expressed concern over the need for these channels to constantly develop content, and how often the end result is a "race to the bottom. ""We have journalism that is always ravenous for the next rumor, but insufficiently hungry for the facts that can nourish our democracy," he said. Rockefeller also said that, if the companies do not address the problems ranging from money disputes, regulations and customer complaints about rising prices and blackouts, then government will be forced to step in.