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FCC boss Ajit Pai is being investigated by his own agency over potential corruption allegations.
The already-unpopular agency boss has been on a tear in recent months gutting decades old media-consolidation rules designed to protect consumers and the nation's media markets from any one broadcaster becoming too powerful.
Pai's efforts arrived, not coincidentally, at the same time Sinclair Broadcasting Group is attempting to acquire Tribune Media as part of a $3.9 billion dollar megamerger. It's a deal a bipartisan chorus of critics say would demolish media diversity, resulting in Sinclair owning more than 230 local stations across 72 percent of the United States.
Given criticism of Sinclair for its often distorted and inaccurate news reporting, consumer advocates say the deal would have a profoundly negative impact on the quality and diversity of media discourse, as well as already dwindling competition in the space.
Without Pai's assistance on this front, the Sinclair merger would have been impossible.
Now the New York Times indicates that the FCC's Inspector General has launched an investigation into whether Pai acted inappropriately as he rushed to dismantle media consolidation rules.
Also at CNN, Gizmodo and The Verge.
(Score: 2) by krishnoid on Saturday February 17 2018, @10:38PM (1 child)
Do you have the name? I searched for 'pbs neanderthal craft show' and came up with 'Craft in America', but I'm not sure if that's it.
(Score: 3, Informative) by VLM on Monday February 19 2018, @01:07PM
I finally found it, a craftsmans legacy. The host is a nice but ridiculously hairy giant dude. The host is definitely not a professional journalist; he seems to know at least a little about what he's talking about.
Its a strange sort of interview / hands-on craft show. So they'll go all human interest talking about how important the hosts mother was to him, then spend about half the show mostly hand making some sort of art/craft thing. In all the episodes I've seen so far, the host asks if the guest is a craftsman or artist, and the guest always answers craftsman which matches the title of the show, although presumably sometimes guests answer "artist" or the question wouldn't be asked.
Normally I make fun of TV coverage that goes excessively human interest, like modern american sportsball coverage which is often 75%+ human interest stories, but this is at most 50% and of course its an interview show where its expected.
As for things to complain about, the music is somewhat repetitive after awhile.
Given that its on TV, its a surprisingly high quality show.