Does Anybody Hear Me?

For ten years, I have labored to tell a message about the importance of media ownership. At a recent meeting of the Chicago Area Gospel Announcers Guild, I talked about how the recession is having an effect on the radio industry and a recent issue that brought black broadcast owners to Washington DC to present their side of the “Performance Rights Act” being lobbied by recording artists.

After the meeting, a man whom I respect and admire said to me, “I don’t know why you waste your time, those folks don’t hear you, all they want is a CD.”

Sometimes it does get frustrating speaking to Church folk. My Bible says “Study to show thyself approved”. I simply do not understand why as a people African Americans are not concerned with media issues.

I have great faith and I believe that God can do anything but fail. I was one who was dead in sin and brought to a wonderful life. As I do what I do everyday it is a testimony to the power of God. I am thankful.

In November 2008, 96% of all African Americans came together and voted for Barack Obama despite all the negatives presented 96% of African Americans voted that was faith that produced a work “the first African American President of the United States.”

However, African American had help and can’t take all the credit for the election. It was also a move of hope that produced the work. The present system of things have failed and many people are simply tired of living to get by. People want the opportunity to share in the American Dream and not just workers for the corporations. The desire for change that produced the first African American President must continue towards the media and only an organized peopled can defeat organized money.

God is still on the throne and in control. And I with the one voice that I have will continue to preach, that “if you don’t watch out the very things you take for granted will be taken away from you and owned by others that don’t share in your concerns their only concern is to make money off of you."

Now making money is not a bad thing in itself. However, the equality of opportunity to make money is what is at stake. The rules have been changed to limit opportunity to media ownership. It has been labeled “deregulation.” However, Deregulation was a buzz word, or a camouflage tactic, employed to conceal the real intentions of changing regulation to benefit a few.

And that's not the American dream that's greed.