why media consolidation is NOT a good thing

[Sean Smyth]

Garrett writes:
> I don't see anyone here complaining about Paul La Camera's 
> editorials on WCVB, which IIRC were mandated by Hearst 
> corporate (from the pre-Argyle days).

Are you saying Hearst/Hearst-Argyle mandated editorials, or they mandated
certain viewpoints? I have seen editorials on other H-A stations (namely
WGAL and WBAL) but very rarely. I could have sworn the editorials on Channel
5 far pre-dated Hearst ownership.

WCVB's editorials have not, in my opinion, ever influenced programming
decisions, re: pre-empting network programming for PC reasons. I could be
wrong and maybe WCVB was one of the stations that declined airing NYPD Blue
at the beginning but the memory's foggy. There also is the perception that
Hearst-Argyle has pretty much let Channel 5 be, being the cash cow it likely
is, and WCVB still is living off the whole independent licensee thing of
when it came on the air.