Peace Talks

Peace Talks is a political talk show that I host weekly on Free Radio Santa Cruz 101.1 fm (and streaming on-line at freakradio.org)

Monday, November 26, 2007


On November 27, 2007, I interviewed Joe Torres of Free Press about FCC Chairman Kevin Martin's proposal to relax the ban on cross ownership rules in major markets.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin is proposing that a company that owns a newspaper in one of the 20 largest cities in the country should be permitted to purchase a broadcast TV or radio station in the same market. But a newspaper should be prohibited from buying one of the top four TV stations in its community.

Also check out Stop Big Media

Listen to the interview HERE

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Tuesday, November 13, 2007

Tree-Sit Continues at UCSC


At UC Santa Cruz, plans are in place to significantly expand the campus by 2020, with the addition of new buildings, new roads, and nearly 5,000 more students.

Already approved by the UC Regents, the University's Long Range Development Plan (-the LRDP-) includes a 90-thousand square-foot biomedical sciences facility, a 50-thousand square-foot social sciences building, student housing, faculty housing, and a new road creating an additional campus entrance on Empire Grade. The LRDP also calls for 4,500 new students, increasing total enrollment to 19,500.

Opponents of the plan cite numerous concerns, including: impacts upon local housing and traffic; water shortages; animal testing and experimentation; toxic, infectious, and radioactive
substances; as well as the clearing of 120 acres of forest habitat.

In the early morning hours of Wednesday, November 7, several people climbed into threatened redwoods at the site of the proposed biomedical sciences building. High up in the trees, they installed platforms and began a treesit as part of ongoing efforts to increase awareness of, and opposition to, the LRDP. Later that morning, 300 students and community members held a rally and marched across campus to the site of the treesit. UCSC police had the trees surrounded, preventing protestors from reaching the treesitters. When the protestors pushed past the police line to reach the treesitters with food and water, they were pepper sprayed and some were hit with batons. Despite this, they managed to get past police lines and provide needed supplies.

On Tuesday, November 13, I interviewed Jennifer Charles, spokesperson for the Science Hill Treesit, about resistance to UCSC's LRDP (Long Range Development Plan).
LISTEN HERE

As of today, Nov. 29, the treesit continues. To learn more go to www.lrdpresistance.org

More Photos at Santa Cruz Indymedia

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Monday, November 05, 2007

Bush Imposes New, Harsher Sanctions on Iran

On Tuesday, Oct. 30, I interviewed Stephen Shalom, professor of political science at William Paterson University in New Jersey, about the Bush administration's new sanctions against Iran announced on October 25. Stephen is also the author of several books, including the text, "Which Side Are You On? An Intro To Politics". And he is a frequent contributor to Z magazine and ZNet.

Download audio (25m58s, 23.8MB)
HERE.

FCC Chair Moves to Relax Media Ownership Rules

On Tuesday, Oct 30, I interviewed Joseph Torres, government relations manager at Free Press, about recent moves by FCC chairman Kevin Martin to relax media ownership rules.

Download audio (25m40s, 23.5MB)

A project of Free Press, the StopBigMedia.com Coalition is made up of groups that have banded together to stop the FCC from allowing a handful of giant corporations to dominate America's media system.
http://www.stopbigmedia.com/

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