Corporate FM Documentary Screening

In 1996, commercial radio underwent a quiet revolution. Local station owners everywhere sold their stations as fast as they could to conglomerate groups. Massive consolidation was occurring in the wake of the “Telecom Act.” In the process corporate owners gutted their staffs. The best DJs have always had a way of connecting to their communities, of listening and then reflecting back community concerns. When local voices are replaced with prerecorded and satellite programs, one of the important ties that bind a community is cut. 

Independent filmmakers Kevin McKinney and Jill McKeever, offer a documentary – Corporate FM – about what happens when a city loses a communal microphone. By investigating how a combination of deregulation and a rush to profit gutted commercial radio, they also point to new ways to revitalize radio and rejuvenate the local communities radio stations are licensed to serve.

Click here to view the official trailer.

This event is part of the Beyond Mainstream Media series. Visit the series webpage for more information and a schedule of upcoming events. 

Participants

Kevin McKinney
Director, Co-producer, and Co-editor, Corporate FM

Moderator  
Mark Lloyd
Director, Media Policy Initiative, New America Foundation