PGHIMC - Pittsburgh Independent Media Center

The Allegheny Defense Project released a report Thursday outlining problems with the management of the Allegheny National Forest and recommending solutions. The ADP calls for an end to logging and a gradual phasing-out of drilling in the forest. The Forest Service is currently asking for public input for a revision of its Forest Plan for the ANF.

[ Full Story ] [ Prescott National Forest in crisis ] [ SFIMC Forest Features ]
[ Allegheny Defense Project ] [ Allegheny National Forest ]
replica rolex ari-king replica omega watches replic omega watches hublot replica

What if you woke up tomorrow to find that Yosemite National Park had been turned over to Chevron? Or that the Everglades were now under the watchful eye of DuPont? Most people would agree: Giving corporations nearly unlimited control over a precious public resource is unacceptable. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulates interstate communications that run over radio, TV, wire, satellite or cable. Its authority is based on the idea that its decisions will serve the "public interest, convenience or necessity." The public owns the airwaves that radio and TV stations use and profit from. Media companies are allowed to use them on the condition that they serve the public; it's part of the FCC's job to enforce that. (Read more at "Final FCC Hearings To Be Held In Atlanta On Wednesday" from Atlanta Indymedia)

other coverage: [ Atlanta IMC | Philly IMC | Prometheus Radio Project | FAIR ]

On June 2nd, the FCC will meet and decide on proposals that FCC Chairman Michael Powell has kept hidden from public view; even other FCC Comissioners say that this fast decision stifles public input. The proposed rule changes have been widely criticised for their contempt for public opinion and their concentration of corporate media power, which threatens locally produced news as well as news in ethnic communities. Meanwhile, media concentration continues to be a worsening problem in the US (see Global Indymedia's feature "Exhaustive Report Documents Media Concentration, FCC Influence"). Activists assert that Powell declared war on media diversity as his father, Secretary of State Colin Powell, helped lead the Bush administration in war against Iraq.

Protests in Pittsburgh and elsewhere

Protests are planned in Pittsburgh as well as nationally on Thursday, May 29th, to express dissent against the FCC and Bush Administration's plans to "reward the media conglomerates who served as the megaphones for its official view." Powell and Bush have received great support from media giants and have been overwhelmingly for pro-corporate media deregulation in the past.

The demonstrations will be held outside the Pittsburgh offices of Clear Channel Communications, (200 Fleet St, near Greentree) widely held as an example of media concentration and monopolization taken to an extreme. In Pittsburgh, Clear Channel owns WXDX-FM, WWSW-FM, WKST-FM, WJJJ-FM, WDVE-FM, and WBGG-AM. It also owns Television stations and is the nation's largest concert promoter. Clear Channel has used its muscle to monopolize media and extract payola from record companies (as well documented in this Salon.com expose) but also to organize and bankroll pro-war rallies around the US during the war on Iraq (and most recently, Rally for America in Huntington, WV near Pittsburgh).

[ Protest photos | IMC Audio coverage | Blast Furnace radio: M29 protest | J2 protest ]

also in media news, see Pittsburgh IMC coverage of: Local Media corruption:
The Station Where the Money Matters: Bribery, Extortion, and Exploitation In Public Radio
Chris Holm exposes unethical business practices in Public Radio, including Pittsburgh's WYEP which is underwritten by Clear Channel and promotes their events.
replica rolex ari-king replica omega watches replic omega watches hublot replica

The Pittsburgh IMC's radio project debuted May 20th at 6:00 pm on 88.3, WRCT. The first show featured Alexis Buss of the Industrial Workers of the World. The next show will be Tuesday, June 3rd at 6:00. Please tune in and call in, and take the media back!

To get involved in the radio show, contact radio@indypgh.org. To listen to archived content, you will need to make sure that you have the Ogg Vorbis audio software installed on your computer. This should already be part of the newest WinAMP and Windows Media Player, or XMMS on unix systems. Get it here.

Show archive:
IMC Radio Hour #1 (featuring Alexis Buss of the IWW)
IMC Radio Hour #2 (featuring Dr. Seymour Drescher on slave trade)
IMC Radio Hour #3 (featuring the Future Music Coalition)

Due to massive cuts in the subsidy given by the State legislature, the Port Authority of Allegheny County is proposing to increase fares and cut service on all bus routes.

Proposed changes include fare increases to most routes, elimination of other routes, and elimination of all service after 9:00 PM. This would cut their current number of service hours by almost 20%.

A public hearing will take place on Wednesday, 21 May at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, 1001 Penn Avenue, from noon until 8:00 PM in room 408.

Local bus riders have announced plans for a march to the public hearing to express outrage at the proposed cuts. Marchers will gather at 11:00 AM at the State Building at 300 Liberty Ave.

Update: Analysis of cuts

[ Full Story ] [ Notice of Public Hearing ] [ March details ]
replica rolex ari-king replica omega watches replic omega watches hublot replica