GM to pull the plug on Pontiac.

Don't forget radio. It's all clear channel or similar (and NPR, which I listen to more often) unless you pay more money for XM or Sirius.

nate

It used to be that GMC trucks were a bit more rugged than their Chevy counterparts.

I can't imagine how. the last time they had anything unique was back in the day when they used the big V-6 engine, and a) I don't remember ever seeing one under the hood of a truck anyway and b) we're talking at least 40 years ago.

nate

Last I checked 5 or 6 is more than 4. And the networks include UPN, Telemondo, CNN, Univision and Fox. And there are a lot more choices, including more than 100 channels on cable TV. And lots of other channels, like ESPN and ESPN2, kids' networks, cooking and food networks, and Discovery Channel. Of course, some of these channels (they're not really networks) are owned by other companies, but there are many more choices. And I did forget to mention, that one may not download movies at will from Netflix and cable companies and FiOS as well as tape record movies and other shows and get DVDs, something we couldn't do as kids.

Jeff

I disagree. There are as many stations now as when I was a kid where I grew up. Some are owned by Clear Channel, but there are other choices as well. Plus, one has the option of getting XM/Serius, which I think is the same company now. But the channels on XM/Sirius are different channels with content not proviced by XM/Serius.

And one has the option of listening to radio over the Internet. When I visit my brother, I can listen to my local radio stations halfway accross the country. ANd I choose when I listen to Cartalk and other radio programs with podcasts.

Jeff

They're almost all owned at least in part by the Big 3. ESPN, ABC, and some others are owned by Disney. I think TVLand is owned by Viacom, which I think is owned by CBS. I can't remember who owns UPN, I don't think they're still independent.

You can usually tell who owns what by the reruns they air. You don't have to pay yourself for your own content.

There are three big syndicates that own most of the radio stations in the US. Not many independents left. There's the "Laser" franchise, I can't remember who owns them; I think it's Clear Channel. There's Fox, and then the ABC, CBS and NBC 'radio networks', although I think ABC sold theirs to Fox.

Thanks to the 1996 Communications Act passed by a Republican't Congress and signed by Slick Willie.

I'm still sad they repealed the 7, 7, 7 O&O rule. Before they did that, my dad made a reasonable living working at 'mom and pop' radio stations.

WLS-FM is sometimes locally programmed but when they're not running Dick Biondi (The Wild Itralian) they're running Scott Shannon's True Oldies Channel. The True Oldies Channel started out heavy on 50's and 60's, and has now moved to being heavier on the 70's.

I've started listening to AM radio again. I now listen to CFZM in Toronto at night (740 AM)

I still do not have an HD or XM radio. I refuse to get one. Matter of fact, I'm going backwards, and trying to build a crystal radio. There's almost nothing to listen to on Shortwave except WYFR in Ockeechobee (another PH0NY gospel station along with Creflo A Dollar, Gregory Dickow, Joel Osteen, Joyce Meyers and Melissa Scott) I could listen to the old farts talking bout their operations on 80 and 20. (Weren't these the same ones that were "Talking Bout My Generation" 40 years ago? Now they're "Talking Bout My Operation")

Charles Grozny

Well, Charles, The Dems want to bring back those rules but Rush Limpballs and Sean Mannatee and Billow reilly are scaring the blind followers ot the republican party. BTW, Clinton signed that bill from a republican house and senate to be bipartisan and business-friendly. Your complete lack of honesty and transparency are consistent from second to second. Which means you are delusional.

A lot of times when there isn't anything worth watching on DirecTV I click on the XM 40s on 4 channel and listen to some of my favorite old music.Big Band/Swing era music. cuhulin

ABC is part of CItadel. However, being part of a network doesn't mean that radio stations don't produce their own local news and other content.

One thing that is happening with the switch to digital TV is that small TV stations are left out. Under law, the digital TV convertor boxes are supposed to let analog signals through, but often they don't.

I do, however, share the concerns about the big radio and TV companies owning too many local media outlets, particularly with the changes in print and electronic media over the last few years.

JEff

NPR is big into HD radio, so it's worthwhile to get if you have a good local NPR station and like their programming. Mine has three HD channels, first one is simulcast of regular FM, second is "bluegrass country" (OK, I don't like that so much) third is more NPR programming, usually it seems to be time-shifts of whatever's on channel 1, which is nice.

I did finally drink the XM kool-aid because my new company heaver is XM-capable from the factory; it's not great but it's certainly better than trying to find something listenable OTA (especially when that radio does NOT have HD)

nate

NBC Universal owns about 10 networks, including NBC and part of MSNBC.

Disney also owns about 20 networks, including ABC and around 10 ESPN- related networks

CBS owns about 5 networks.

CW is owned Warner Brothers and CBS.

Time Warner owns WB, CNN, TNT, Cartoon network, the CW network (formerly UPN - I was wrong about that) and others.

Viacom owns TV Land, BET, Nick and a few others.

There's also PBS and Fox.

And there are some that are independent of these, like Food network and HSN.

So it is more than just the big 3.

However, the concentration is concerning, nonetheless. What is particularly concerning is that news is just from a few outlets, CBS, ABC, CNN, Fox, NBC and PBS - maybe CW too. That's only 6 or 7. Add in NPR (best news IMHO), and you have at most 8.

It's also concerning the concentration between media types, tv, radio, internet, cable, newspaper and other print.

What's most concerning is the inability for Americans to gather and analyze news on their own. Certainly, if they did, they would not have voted last fall for the reasons they voted, although I think the outcome would have been the same and the same good guy in office now.

Jeff

Wide Tracking Pontiac.I hate to see them leave. cuhulin

There are some small College analog tv stations.To pick them up with a digital converter box, (unless you can pick them up with rabbit ears) something called analog pass through is required.There are some digital converter boxes on the market that have that.S-Video input/output and VGA is good too, for some applications.Or so I have read a few months ago in one of my snail mail computer magazines. cuhulin

You betcha! However, I still like NBC, even if they do persue a Global Warming agenda...

But as you can see, not much.

I've always liked NPR. It'll be interesting to see what happens, because often when there's a Liberal hand at the helm, they turn conservative (um, for them anyway.)

I've caught plenty of bias from them, also however.

Gee. We almost agree on something. Put a gold star on the calendar today...

I don't often use the internet for news unless it's from a reliable source. Too many bloggers. If they were good journalists, why aren't they working for someone?

Especially those who get it from MTV "News". You want to see spoonfeeding?! They make Limbaugh look objective!

I learned a long, long time ago, when I was in high school how to 'filter' news sources after reading an article in the NYT when I was a freshman.

Er, well, at least the same guy.

I am really, really having doubts about 'good'. He's not supposed to interfere with industry.

Of course, industry isn't supposed to beg the government for money, either. Tax concessions, yes.

I've been thinking of dropping it since the merge with Sirius. There's a reason why I chose XM over Sirius, and the XM channels have gone away for the most part.

Although I left my receiver home the other day and drove the Scion. The AM in the JVC I installed doesn't work (Odd, I have two of the exact same model, and it doesn't work in either...) so I had to listen to FM. UGH...

Time to burn another MP3 CD...