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<P align=right><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
color=#999999 size=-2>JUNE 12, 2002</FONT> </P></TD></TR>
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<DIV align=center><FONT
face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" color=#ffffff
size=2><B>OP-ED</B></FONT></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR>
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<P align=left><FONT
face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"><B>Congress can no longer
ignore corporate control of the media<BR></B></FONT><FONT
face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif" size=-1><I>By Rep. Bernie
Sanders</I></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT color=#000080><A
href="http://www.hillnews.com/061202/op_ed_sanders.shtm">http://www.hillnews.com/061202/op_ed_sanders.shtm</A></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
size=-1>One of our best-kept secrets is the degree to which a handful of
huge corporations control the flow of information in the United States.
Whether it is television, radio, newspapers, magazines, books or the
Internet, a few giant conglomerates are determining what we see, hear and
read. And the situation is likely to become much worse as a result of
radical deregulation efforts by the Bush administration and some
horrendous court decisions.<BR></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
size=-1>Television is the means by which most Americans get their “news.”
Without exception, every major network is owned by a huge conglomerate
that has enormous conflicts of interest. Fox News Channel is owned by
Rupert Murdoch, a right-wing Australian who already owns a significant
portion of the world’s media. His network has close ties to the Republican
Party, and among his “fair and balanced” commentators is Newt
Gingrich.<BR></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
size=-1>NBC is owned by General Electric, one of the largest corporations
in the world — and one with a long history of anti-union activity. GE, a
major contributor to the Republican Party, has substantial financial
interests in weapons manufacturing, finance, nuclear power and many other
industries. Former CEO Jack Welch was one of the leaders in shutting down
American plants and moving them to low-wage countries like China and
Mexico.<BR></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
size=-1>ABC is owned by the Disney Corp., which produces toys and products
in developing countries where they provide their workers atrocious wages
and working conditions.<BR></FONT></P>
<P align=left><FONT face="Georgia, Times New Roman, Times, serif"
size=-1>continued</P></FONT></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>