Two announcements today rocked the world of independent media and college radio.
First, the Department of Justice approved the pending NBC-Comcast merger. Not since before the the dawn of the information age have we seen such a consolidation of the generation and distribution of information under one entity.
Second, the University of San Fransisco sold their radio station's license without warning the staff of the station. The DJs showed up for their shows and there were new locks on the doors and the staff had to ask about what happened to their own station.
I'll leave analysis to others but I encourage you to read up on these events and think about their implications. How does consolidation of media affect the world, our information, and ultimately you? How does the slow extinction of independent media outlets affect our ability to receive unfiltered news of the day's events?
In a democracy that requires its citizens be not only active but informed, what happens when that information is controlled by an increasingly smaller group of individuals?
With FSRN's brief flirtation with collapse and these recent developments we must remember how vulnerable independence is when those who preserve it let down their guard.
Please, keep KDVS in mind this fundraiser season and remember its dedication to independent media. We need your help to defend against the seemingly stronger commercial interests that lust for our airwaves. They may have more money but they underestimate the power of the community and our resolve to ensure the people continue to have a voice.
Neil Ruud
KDVS General Manager
