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"Controlling" the TV news and programs

Glenn Greenwald, lawyer, writer and blogger on Salon, exposes how GE has now, quite blatantly, taken charge of "controling" the presentation of news by both NBC News and MSNBC .

In his latest piece "The scope -- and dangers -- of GE's control of NBC and MSNBC" on Salon, he writes:

"GE's control over two major American news outlets -- NBC, which uses our public airways, and MSNBC -- is inherently dangerous even without evidence of its editorial interference. GE's corporate interests in the outcome of our political process is vast and impossible to overstate. In 2006, The Boston Globe reported:

'General Electric Co. spent $21.5 million last year trying to influence the US government, the most of any corporation, as total lobbying costs rose even as Congress began looking at ways to rein in such activities.'

GE's relationship with the U.S. Government is a vital aspect of its business:

'Federal contracts for General Electric, based in Fairfield, Conn., rose to $3.8 billion during the two years ending Sept. 30, 2004, the last period for which figures are available.'

Clearly money speaks! - and the viewers of both TV channels are the losers.

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