THE MEDIACRACY

WASHINGTON POST SPINS MYTH ABOUT DEMOCRATS

DEAN BAKER, PROSPECT - Today's paper began "Determined to banish their
old tax-and-spend image, Democrats want to shrink the federal deficit,
preserve tax cuts for the middle class and challenge the president to
raise money for the Iraq war when they take control of Congress next
week."

Sorry to bore people with the facts, but the ratio of debt to GDP has
consistently fallen under Democratic administrations, while it has risen
under the last three Republican administrations. Spending as a share of
GDP fell sharply in the Clinton years, while rising sharply in the Bush
years.

The idea that the Democrats have been reckless spendthrifts is an
invention of their political opponents. It should not be treated as an
accurate characterization of their policy.

http://www.prospect.org/deanbaker/

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HUGE TELECOMMUNICATION OLIGOPOLY APPROVED BY FCC

AP - AT&T Inc. completed its US$86 billion buyout of BellSouth Corp.,
the largest telecommunications takeover in U.S. history, shortly after
the U.S. Federal Communications Commission unanimously approved the deal
on Friday. . . Lawyers for AT&T and the two Democratic commissioners who
had opposed the merger hammered out a compromise. . .

AT&T promised to observe "network neutrality" - not to favor Internet
content providers who pay the company more money - and to offer $19.95
per month stand-alone digital subscriber line service. AT&T will also
divest some wireless spectrum. . . The buyout will also give AT&T
complete control over Cingular Wireless, the country's largest wireless
telecommunications provider, which it had jointly owned with BellSouth.
AT&T is also trying to roll out television service to compete with cable
operators. Consumer advocates had opposed the merger from the start, but
they put the best face on the compromise, pointing to AT&T's promise of
network neutrality.

http://www.canada.com/topics/technology/news/gizmos/story.html?id=
2b0111d8-285f-4849-aa70-0330c29f0a21&k=49695

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ALL TELEVISION IS NOW JUST AN ADVERTISEMENT

JENNIFER FREY, WASHINGTON POST - Wish you could get your special guy
that yummy black wool coat worn by Dr. Burke on the Nov. 23 episode of
"Grey's Anatomy"? You can. It's manufactured by Calvin Klein, and it's
available for $239.99 in sizes S, M, L and XL.

How about those snazzy Diane von Furstenberg slacks that made Delinda
Deline look so good during the Nov. 24 installment of "Las Vegas"?
They're black wool gabardine, available in sizes 2, 4, 6 and 10 for
$159.

In fact, a whole host of items—and not just clothing—seen on
television's hottest shows can be purchased online. . . If television is
becoming "one giant catalogue," as an expert recently put it, then the
new Web site Seenon.com is the door to a pop-culture shopping orgy, a
portal for those who don't just want to watch their favorite characters
on the 50-inch flat screen. It's for those who want to dress like them,
smell like them, drive like them and be surrounded by their possessions,
right down to the colors on the walls. . .

Priced at retail, products go up on the Web almost immediately after a
show airs; Delivery Agent processes the orders and arranges the
shipping. Everybody involved—the production company, the studio, the
broadcaster and Delivery Agent—gets a cut of the profit.

http://www.commercialalert.org/news/featured-in/2007/01/from-bree-to-me

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