Dear Haruna,

From the same people who brought you Fear Factor, Temptation Island and I’m a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here! comes one of the most-shocking-but-true stories of hubris, greed and endless griping.

This is a tale of the vastly powerful but sniveling giants who control your TV, dictate much of our political discourse and get rich doing it — all while evading even the most basic forms of public accountability.

Like so many reality stars before them, these whiny media dinosaurs — or whinosaurs for short — have no shame.

This isn’t just another reality show — it’s the reality of what’s airing on every local TV station in the nation. And as far as station owners and their lobbyists are concerned, their business is none of yours.

Broadcasters have pocketed gazillions over the years while using the airwaves free of charge. In exchange, they’re supposed to serve the public interest with programming that reflects community needs. But the FCC’s modest attempts to hold broadcasters to their end of the bargain are being met by a teeth-gnashing, fire-breathing rhetoric … and pitiful mewling about how hard it is to use a computer.

The FCC is proposing that stations keep basic records on what kinds of programming they put on the air, and that they put these records on the Internet, so it’s easier for people to view them. But while nearly every other industry has found electronic record-keeping to be a better way of doing business, broadcasters are desperately clinging to their dusty file cabinets.

They’re actually claiming, in the year 2012, that putting this basic information online is far too laborious. Yes, broadcasters that have managed to make pictures fly through the air and into your living room for 70 years are still relying on paper records.

The FCC should ignore all this whining and move forward with its common-sense plans to encourage transparency and accountability.

The whinosaurs have a reputation as fierce lobbyists and are good at making a lot of noise. But the climate is changing. So whinosaurs be warned: You either evolve, or you go extinct.

Sincerely,

Craig Aaron
President and CEO
Free Press

P.S. Help us keep on the pressure on these whiny broadcasters. Donate $10 today to help us fight for local programming accountability at the FCC.