Country legends to testify at FCC hearings in Nashville

By Bill Larson | December 6, 2006 |

George Jones, Porter Wagoner, Naomi Judd to join hundreds of citizens concerned about the costs of media consolidation

NASHVILLE — On Dec. 11 in Nashville, legendary country musicians George Jones, Porter Wagoner, Naomi Judd, Dobie Gray and Craig Wiseman will testify about media consolidation’s impact on musicians at an official Federal Communications Commission hearing. They’ll be joined at the event by dozens of community leaders, several award-winning journalists, and hundreds of concerned citizens from throughout the region who are speaking out in response to the FCC’s plans to change media ownership rules.

“I’m excited that pioneers of music and journalism — winners of Grammy Awards and Pulitzer Prizes — are speaking out about media ownership,” said U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper (D-Nashville), who will also testify at the event. “Preserving a diverse spectrum of media voices is important to Nashville, and it’s essential for a healthy democracy.”

All five FCC Commissioners are expected to attend the hearing, which will feature an “open microphone” session for the public to offer testimony on a first-come, first-served basis. «Read the rest of this article»

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Health: It’s not just what you eat

By Christine Anne Piesyk | December 6, 2006 |

Just this morning, I read that Tennessee is in the bottom five of fifty states when it comes to the health of its citizens. In only took a minute, if that, to mentally start listing reasons why, immediately followed by the question, “what are other 90% of our states doing better?”

The health of our citizens directly impacts the health of our state . The health of our citizens is impacted by many factors; it’s not just eating right or exercising or even being lucky or unlucky enough to have “good” or “bad” genes. It’s not just taking soda vending machines out of the schools or removing those bad fats from restaurant foods, or banning smoking. It’s a broader issue, that encompasses not just the obvious: health care systems, nutrition, exercise. It’s a broader issue rooted in economics, education, regional culture, public policy, and a multi-layered infrastructure in dozens of cities and towns that supports — or does not support — good health and well-being. «Read the rest of this article»

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