A great deal (much of it quite enlightening) has been written about the upcoming ABC mini-series Path to 9/11. For those unaware, the mini-series is being billed as based on the 9/11 Commission report, but apparently contains numerous errors, and partisan accusations impugning Clinton administration officials. The contested scenes of the mini-series center around the myth that the Clinton administration had numerous opportunities to kill or arrest Osama Bin-Ladin, and that, overall, the administration was less interested in terrorism then the Bush administration. For those of us who have read the memories of former Bush officials, such as Richard Clark, and remember the priorities of the Bush administration prior to 9/11 – specifically its singular focus on the missile defense shield – knows this is bullshit.
Nonetheless, there has been much speculation as to why ABC and it’s parent company Disney would so heavily invest in and promote such a partisan product. Recently, Digby commented on Disney’s caving to right wing pressures from Focus on the Family and other conservative groups. He suggests that this is due to Disney’s desire to protect the The Chronicles of Narnia film franchise, and attract fundamentalist movie goers. Though Digby is correct in hos assertion that Disney needs the support of both conservative christian organizations, and the republican party, he (I believe is incorrect) about the reasons.
Walt Disney co. currently resides in 5th place among the big media company revenues — well behind Newscorp (Fox), CBS, and NBC. This means that Disney 1) cannot afford to loose revenues, and 2) needs to expands its market share. This takes us to our old friends at the FCC. Regardless of whether or not the Democrats regain the congress in the fall, the FCC board will continue to be dominated by highly partisan Republican members. With the recent major increase in indecency fines, ABC an ill afford any major judgements against them. Other networks have recently criticized the FCC for ignoring ABC’s violations while fining them. Aside from owning the ABC network, Disney owns and operates 71 radio stations and 10 television stations. The FCC recently announced that it will re-open the issue if expanding media ownership limitations. Something which could greatly benefit Disney’s need to expand. Finally, there is the little known or discussed issue of translator stations. Translators allow for radio station – usually non-profit – to expand geographic footprints without the local licensing burdens of opening or re-licensing a new station. In 1990 the FCC amended the FM translator service rules. One big change allowed non-commercial broadcasters to operate translator stations independent of any parent station.Translators are not required to provide locally produced programming, and are actually limited by law from doing so. Translator stations have become the primary mode of expansion for Christian broadcasters. ABC and other commercial radio owners have recently expressed interest in unbundling translators from parent stations – this would require the acquiescence of the religious broadcasters.
All of this suggests, what I have observed in the past, that the partisan forces which control the FCC will help to generate partisan content. ABC has much more to loose by annoying FCC commissioners then is does by alienating its viewers. If that is not a classic example of fascist intimidation, I don’t know what is.
