/ Politics

Time Warner Buys The US Postal Service

Check it out:

Postal regulators have accepted a proposal from media giant Time Warner that would stifle small and independent publishers in America. The plan unfairly burdens smaller publishers with higher postage rates while locking in special privileges for bigger media companies.

Mother Jones covers the story here.

After almost a year of hearings, last month the Bush-appointed US Postal Service Board of Governors tossed out their own staff recommendations and at the last minute approved a 758-page plan submitted by Time Warner that will increase mailing costs between 18 and 30 percent a year for small-circulation magazines like Mother Jones, while postal costs for the big guys – Time, Newsweek, People – will actually go down. The Board of Guvs opened up their decision to public comment for a grand total of 8 days, and then scheduled it to go into effect this coming July.

Baltimore IMC covers it here.

McChesney notes the new postal rates “were developed with no public involvement or congressional oversight (in a scheme) drafted by (media giant) Time Warner, the largest magazine publisher in the nation.” McChesney believes responsible postal bureaucrats failed to consider how adverse their action is to a free and open press. This writer’s view is darker, however, believing it’s another example of dirty political machinations with corporate America telling government and bureaucrats to jump and their responding how high.

To take action, you can go to Freepress.net’s campaign.

Thanks to Amanda at Pandagon for the heads up on this one.

On this day..