And a few minutes later....

And (literally) hot on the heels of my last post, this news item comes up on Techdirt.

Apparently traditional broadcasters feel they should be allowed to merge and acquire at will because of all the competition they face from ruthless bloggers! From the article:

"Anyone with a computer can now compete to serve the local audience," said Bill Carey, general manager of WFTS-TV and incoming president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters, who advocated for looser rules that would allow companies to own more outlets. Those new outlets are serious competitors for news, Carey said, and illustrate how traditional media companies need more flexible rules for how they operate.

I'm sorry if I'm a little bit skeptical, but I somehow doubt that independent purveyors of news online, such as bloggers or DemocracyNow! (couldn't miss an oportunity to promote my favourite news show!), really compete with the traditional media outlets. The two target entirely different markets and demographics. Middle-aged men and women don't come home from a long day at work, put up their feet, and flip on the computer to read the updates on their favourite blog.

Of course, their hypocrisy shines crystal-clear, as the Techdirt article points out, considering their criticism of the proposed XM-Sirius merger. Apparently different rules should apply to the traditional broadcasters than to everyone else who is sort-of-kind-of a competitor.