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FCC hearings carefully controlled --
RCPD part of control of dissent
A column
By Hazel Bonner
At the third localism hearing held in the United States, and the only one in the Midwest, the testimony was carefully controlled. The first step in the process of control required persons who wished to attend the hearing and speak to pick up a ticket between 8:00 and 1:00 for hearings starting at 5:30. The two prior hearings had not required that.
Broadcast media companies sent staff and some youth, not planning to attend the hearings, to pick up tickets. Grassroots people picked up their own tickets. I believe persons from the media should have had to pick up their individual tickets.
The localism taskforce was created following the storm of protests over
Consolidation rules that would allow big companies to own much more of the broadcast airwaves. The new rules would also have allowed cross ownership of media with a newspaper company being allowed to own broadcast media outlets. The question to be determined by the hearings is if local broadcast media was meeting the needs of the community.
Representatives of three national organizations came to Rancid City early to meet with persons and present information about the ownership of the national media. Yolanda Hippensteen of Free Press; Hannah Sossoman of Prometheus Radio, and Saskia Fisher of the United Church of Christ Media Campaign provide invaluable assistance to people wanting to present testimony at the hearing. Thanks, ladies!
The Rancid City Police didn’t like that. On Sunday night after the ladies returned late from a concert at Dahl Fine Arts the desk clerk told them that the police had been there. A card from Lt. David Walton had been left asking Sossoman to call before 9:00 a.m. They called immediately and were treated very rudely by the desk clerk answering the phone. Before 9:00 apparently meant between 8:00 and 9:00.
I was present when Sossoman returned the call to Walton Wednesday morning. He told her that he had received mail from San Antonio about her and others causing trouble during those hearings. She arranged to meet with him and asked him to bring the mail with him. I left so as not to be anywhere near when Walton showed up.
Walton admitted when he showed up that he had received calls, not mail. Sossoman did say that she saw in his folder mail from the FCC, not from residents or police in San Antonio. He told her that RCPD would not allow any protest and that anyone getting out of line would be immediately arrested. I find it interesting that in a hearing about free speech and free press the RCPD apparently had orders to prevent it.
The Detective told her not to listen to people who tell them that police officers abuse Indians. Waltman had been an investigator in a complaint about mistreatment of my son several years ago. He concluded his letter by saying that he understood mother’s need to protect her siblings. Excuse me, a son is not a sibling. Hennies signed off on the cover letter presenting the findings.
Prior to the hearings the RCPD was visibly present. I watched as recently promoted Deb Cady entered to search the women’s bathroom. There was an officer at each door and one in the back of the room. Since prior hearings were in large urban areas, and I am unaware that any problems occurred during those hearings, the efforts of the RCPD seemed rather ludicrous.
As persons entered the hearing room they drew from a punch bowl a number from 1-65 that identified the group they were in to speak at open microphone. There was to be one number drawn for each ticket. The hearing started at 6:00 instead of the scheduled 5:30. U.S. Government time I guess. Commissioners Adelstein and Coops spoke. Coops reminded the media and audience that localism involves a great deal more than promoting fund raisers by non profits.
Then a panel of media representatives including Tom Casey and others. including Tom Short Bull, president of Oglala Lakota College spoke. Short Bull zeroed in on the media coverage of the alleged voter fraud in 2002 and the image that that left with the public, resulting in the state legislature tightening requirements to vote this year.
Mayor Jim Shaw was allowed to make opening remarks in which he praised the media for fair coverage of issues in Rancid City. He then was a part of a group of official representatives including Lt. Governor Deaugard and others who spoke for five minutes each. No representative of any tribe was in either group. Not one of those official representatives had anything but praise about the media. Shaw spoke about his Undoing Racism Task force, which doesn’t seem to be undoing any racism.
During open microphone people were allowed to speak for 2 minutes. When the Vice President of Oglala Sioux Tribe got up to speak he turned the microphone over to Harvey White Woman, who insisted on having five minutes to speak. A number of audience members agreed and he was allowed to speak for longer than two minutes. He read a prepared statement from Johnson Holy Rock.
The vast majority of the open microphone time was taken by media representatives and non-profits with nothing but praise for the media. People in my row had up to four group numbers, picking the one that came up first. The moderator from KELO was particularly harsh in cutting off persons criticizing the media
Several people spoke about the importance of the media during disasters, including the flood in Rancid City more than 30 years ago. When I spoke, I reminded the panel and audience that there had been no coverage of a lawsuit filed by indigenous and indigent flood victims for discrimination following the ‘72 flood that was won by those victims. Indigenous and indigent victims were placed in city lots in HUD mobile homes paying lot rent and all utilities.
Higher income white victims were placed in private homes where they paid neither lot rent nor utilities. I discovered that information when residents of the city lots started getting cut-off notices from the utility companies and eviction notices from the city. I presented the information at a flood recovery hearing. A group of named plaintiffs was located with the late Merle Bunche being the first named plaintiff. Attorney Charles Mickel represented the City. The city and utility companies had to stop charging and refunds were issued by court order. Wealthier people paid nothing, poor and minority paid, in many cases more than before the flood. A clear case of unequal protection.
Bill Duhamel said he had never heard that story and I reminded him that he had been informed but had not covered it then or during the 10, 20 and 30-year anniversaries of the flood.
I spoke about the plethora of coverage of the clean up of Rapid Creek and East North Street that praised it as a major benefit to business owners who do not live in the neighborhood. Not one story had been done interviewing a homeless person displaced as a result of the destruction of seven homeless camps along Rapid Creek.
Charles Michael Ray had visited the camps and done a story last winter and asked me to accompany him doing a story next week. I am horrified at the amount of trees and natural habit that has been removed. It truly is now an endangered habitat. Have to be able to see those Indians sitting or resting along the creek. The natural beauty of the Creek has been largely destroyed, but it will grow back in coming years.
I compared the recent removal of Indians on Rapid Creek to the removal that occurred fifty years ago in June when Sioux Addition, an apartheid community north of the city, became the answer to the “Indian Problem” in Rancid City.
Some others spoke about the lack of coverage of good things, and the overabundance of coverage of bad things, most notably the voter fraud coverage. Speakers included Charmaine White Face, Elizabeth Cook Lynn, Tim White Face and others. Tim White Face did an honoring song for the hardy folk who remained when the hearings concluded at midnight.
The hearings probably will have the sought after result. Few changes will be made. I have provided Bill Duhamel with more information about the lawsuit following the flood.
Bonner is a freelance writer who writes from her home. She can be reached electronically at hbonpidge1@hotmail.com; by mail at PO Box 3712, Rapid City, SD 57709-3712; or by phone at (605) 343-4467.
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