Freedom from the Press....

Hey, kids!

So-called alternative newspaper publishers New Times and Village Voice Media are talking about a merger!

Hip, hip hooray -- that will just give New Times more power to leverage more deals with Clear Channel -- which we all know means more Ashley Simpson concerts for everyone!

It's like the San Francisco Bay Guardian put it:

In effect, one of the nation's largest media oligopolies has joined forces with the nation's largest alternative weekly chain to squeeze out an independently owned competitor.

Things are looking worse for television, thanks to FCC Commissioner Kevin J. Martin:

During the long hot summer in Washington, he has been quietly meeting with religious activists and industry leaders to organize a push for new standards for broadcast, cable and satellite television. At the same time, Martin's allies in the Senate have been considering new laws that could increase broadcast indecency fines, break up cable TV offerings to allow parents to cut off racy channels, and -- most controversially -- give the FCC the power to fine basic cable programs, like MTV's "Real World" and Comedy Central's "Daily Show," for crude and lewd content.

It seems to me the alternative press is becoming a conglomerate monster and the crudest thing about television are the people who are in charge of it.

I, for one, would think the FCC would be better off investigating Pat Robertson's call to assassinate Venezuela President Chavez rather than fining Jon Stewart for being funny.....but I'm crazy like that....

And just for shits and grins, the Village Voice wrote an article about Rupert Murdoch's purchase of MySpace -- with the headline:

TheirSpace? A rumor that a community-built Web behemoth has become a corporate trap

Seems to me -- this talk of merger with New Times has corporate trap written all over it!