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Rupert Murdoch: Gaming the FCC

From: Francesca Rheannon
Length: 00:22:28

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Marvin Kitman talks about how Rupert Murdoch got his start in the U.S. by skirting the law, while the FCC looked the other way. This full interview is an excerpt from a November 2010 episode on Writers Voice with Francesca Rheannon. Read the full description.

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Marvin Kitman

It’s safe to say, Rupert Murdoch is the most powerful media voice in America. He reaches millions through his Orwellian-named company NewsCorp, with vast holdings in every kind of media venue from print to broadcast to movies. In his article in the November 2010 Harper’s, Murdoch Triumphant, media critic Marvin Kitman says Murdoch’s media empire is a means to an end — political power.

How did Murdoch manage to get where he is? It took luck, a willingness to skirt the law, and an FCC that fell down on its job. That’s the fascinating story Marvin Kitman tells — and he tells it with scorching panache and style.

In addition to writing for Harper’s Magazine, Kitman is the author of THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT SHUT UP: The Rise of Bill O’Reilly and I AM A VCR, which recounts Kitman’s two decades as a TV critic and how he sees the impact of television on American culture.

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Piece Description

Marvin Kitman

It’s safe to say, Rupert Murdoch is the most powerful media voice in America. He reaches millions through his Orwellian-named company NewsCorp, with vast holdings in every kind of media venue from print to broadcast to movies. In his article in the November 2010 Harper’s, Murdoch Triumphant, media critic Marvin Kitman says Murdoch’s media empire is a means to an end — political power.

How did Murdoch manage to get where he is? It took luck, a willingness to skirt the law, and an FCC that fell down on its job. That’s the fascinating story Marvin Kitman tells — and he tells it with scorching panache and style.

In addition to writing for Harper’s Magazine, Kitman is the author of THE MAN WHO WOULD NOT SHUT UP: The Rise of Bill O’Reilly and I AM A VCR, which recounts Kitman’s two decades as a TV critic and how he sees the impact of television on American culture.

Broadcast History

Aired on stations carrying Writers Voice in November 2010

Transcript

Rupert Murdoch and the FCC
Francesca Rheannon of Writer’s Voice talks with him about his November 2010 Harper’s Magazine article, “Murdoch Triumphant”. It’s about how Rupert Murdoch got his start in the U.S. by skirting the law, while the FCC looked the other way.
Read the full transcript

Related Website

http://www.writersvoice.net/2010/11/marvin-kitman-peter-lehner/