Writer/Director Michael Ajakwe's 2nd Annual Web Series Festival To Honor America's Court Judge Kevin Ross and Jean-Michel Albert

(Kevin Ross, Michael Ajakwe and Jean-Michel Albert)

LAWEBFEST Selections to Screen in South of France; 2011 Honorees Named

LAWEBFEST, the only all-web series festival in the world, is honoring Kevin Ross, host of tv's "America's Court with Judge Ross", with the Social Media Award for his efforts at educating the public, especially minority communities, on digital issues affecting them though his 3BAAS Media internet marketing firm and online column.

“Receiving this honor affirms what I believe to be absolutely true – in order to achieve success as each of us individually defines it, you must do what you love,” Ross said. “I’m fortunate that my passion for new media has lead to the creation of a business and me hosting my own television court show.”

Created in 2010 by veteran Emmy-winning tv producer and NAACP Award-winning playwright Michael Ajakwe, Jr., the Los Angeles Web Series Festival is the industry (and world's) first all-web series festival honoring serialized shows created for the Internet. The goal of the three-day festival is to celebrate web shows by bringing creators, producers, directors, actors and technicians together under one roof.

In addition to Ross, Jean-Michel Albert-- founder of Europe's first all-web series festival-- will be honored with the festival's “Envisioneer Award” for his efforts at organizing the first all-web series festival in Europe. Additionally, Albert is awarding 6 LAWEBFEST entries with an all-expense paid trip to Europe in October to showcase their web series to an international audience at the Marseille Webfest.

“The web series is a global phenomena and our partnership with Europe's first web series festival is just the beginning,” said LAWEBFEST Founder and Executive Director Michael Ajakwe Jr. "This year, we're thrilled that we can offer a handful of LAWEBFEST entries an opportunity to expose their wonderful shows to a European audience... Building a sense of community is one of our main goals and we have a great partner in producer Jean-Michel Albert.”

“I am humbled and honored to receive this award from another pioneer in the web series industry,” Albert declared.


Los Angeles Web Series Festival takes place March 25-27 at the Stage 52 Theatre in Los Angeles. The Marseille Webfest in Marseille, France is being spear-headed by the Paris and Marseille-based tv, film and web series producer October 14-16 2011. Last year, when the city of Marseille expressed an interest in hosting a web series festival Albert-- who was chosen to lead those efforts-- reached across the Atlantic ocean to Ajakwe.

Other festival honorees include "Maverick Award" recipient Scott Rice, whose award winning parody series “Script Cops” drew the attention of Sony Digital after it received over a million hits. The "Groundbreaker Award" will go to Hayden Black, an innovative English online media producer whose "Goodnight, Burbank" is the first web series adapted into a half-hour comedy made specifically for the web.

Festival organizers this year have seen a dramatic rise in entries and expect the number of screenings to double. Thus far, 50 web series have been selected from nearly 200 submissions. These entries hail from 19 different states and 8 foreign countries.

My Journey With Oprah - From Unimpressed Student To Inspired Colleague

Farewell and Hello

By Kevin Ross

When Oprah Winfrey hit the national stage on Sept 8, 1986, who could have imagined that a 32-year-old news journalist with a strange, biblical-inspired name would amass such a level of fame, wealth and influence?

And it all started with a television show.



For me, what initially stood out about the undisputed queen of talk was that she was one of only a few minority personalities on network TV, particularly during the day.

Admittedly, I was underwhelmed watching the A.M. Chicago host interview Mr. T during a brief visit to the Windy City in the early 80's. “Who is this Oprah?” I remember saying disdainfully to my Morehouse College buddy. “People like her," he responded defensively. "She’s more popular here than Phil Donahue!”

(Years later, that same friend would marry a woman who ended up working at Harpo Studios.)

By the time Winfrey’s show debuted around the country, I had just finished college. Although I felt like the same person, the “new” Oprah I was now eying seemed more entertaining. I actually wrote to her the following month, inquiring whether I could be on the show to discuss why students such as myself preferred attending Historically Black College and Universities over mainstream white institutions (in my case the University of Southern California).

Hoping to get her attention, I included a 1986 Men of Morehouse Calendar that some classmates and I had created and sold earlier that year.

Although I was never contacted by the show’s producers, I remained a loyal fan. Between scouring newspaper job listings and filling out law school applications, I always made it a point to get my regular Oprah fix.

But once my student loans started getting uppity and my parents began inquiring whether I was as clear about my career path as I kept insisting, it was decision time. Was I going to continue working the marketing job I had just landed, or follow the path that I felt compelled to pursue?

With a little help from the media mogul and the debut of a one-hour drama set in a fictitious law office, the answer would be revealed.

You see it was the power of television that ultimately gave me the confidence to believe that I had a shot at having a legal career. At the time, I neither knew anyone in the profession, nor did I fully understand what would be required to succeed in it.

What I did know was after watching LA Law, which also premiered in the Fall of 1986, I became convinced that if Mario Van Peebles and Blair Underwood could portray polished attorneys who just happened to be black, then I could actually be one?

And with Bryant Gumbel successfully at the helm of The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show obliterating afternoons and The Cosby Show dominating primetime, the so-called “boob tube” kept reinforcing in my mind one thing and one thing only:

Achievement!

In 2010, that message is making a comeback!

Look no further than the upcoming Primetime Schedule of the major networks and you’ll find more "color" (at least in front of the camera) than we’ve seen in quite some time. And NBC, to their credit, is leading the way with shows like Undercovers, Outlaw, The Event, Law & Order: Los Angeles, and Community.

In daytime, returning programs like ABC’s The View with Whoopi Goldberg and Sherri Sheppard, Meredith’s Better with Audra Lowe, and Debmar Mercury’s The Wendy Williams Show feature multi-talented women conversing with everyone from reality stars to an African American Commander-In Chief. Joining that mix is Holly Robinson Peete, one of the six ladies helming CBS’s new chatfest The Talk.

With respect to syndicated game shows, Emmy-winning host Wayne Brady kicks off a second season of Let’s Make A Deal, while comedian, radio host and NY Times best-selling author Steve Harvey will now have the pleasure of kissing cheeks on Family Feud.

And if you go inside any of the court shows this year, you’ll discover 5 out of 10 feature African Americans dispensing justice They include mainstays Judge Joe Brown, Judge Greg Mathis, Divorce Court with Judge Lynn Toler, as well as Judge Karen’s Court.

I did say five, right?

The remaining one is mine.

And that's because I ended up going to law school and working as a LA prosecutor before serving for several years as an elected member of the California judiciary.

Now, America’s Court with Judge Ross is set to find its niche with audiences this Fall.

"These years with you… have enriched my life beyond measure," Oprah stated when she announced her decision to leave her award-winning show.

In joining my soon to be colleague for her 25th and final season (beginning Monday September 13), I look forward to sharing with the iconic figure what many, irrespective of race, truly feel about her journey.

“Thank you for inspiring me Ms. Winfrey. Mission accomplished!”

Former Superior Court Judge Kevin Ross is the host of America's Court. The show, from Entertainment Studios, debuted on broadcast television Monday, September 20. 2010 (check your local station for show times)

America's Court With Judge Ross - Who Really Sets The Bar?

By Kevin Ross

Curtis and I have always had one of those strange friendships.

We met in high school my junior year. He was a sophomore. Seems like whatever I did, Curtis was always able to do it better.

Much, much better!

I had pretty good grades. Curtis was a solid 'A' student. I became very active in student council and was school president by my senior year. So was he.

We both drove Toyota vehicles. Of course his Celica was much nicer than my Corolla.

On top of that, Curtis was a jock. Basketball.

The only thing that matched his height, was the width of his big smile.

After high school I decided Morehouse College was the best place for me.

Curtis was a UCLA economics major. I BARELY passed economics!

We pledged rival fraternities (I became a Kappa man, Curtis went Alpha Phi Alpha) and had completely different experiences. While I traveled the U.S. during that time, he traveled the world.

I was so excited when, after months of waiting, I finally got accepted into a local law school. Sixteen days after he applied, Curtis was accepted into Stanford University.

How do I know this? Curtis made it a point to tell me.

He would also finish a year before I did!

Although Curtis and I lost contact over the years, our paths crossed again and we began seeing each other daily. That’s because we both ended up studying for the California bar exam at the same place at the exact same time.

Older and less competitive, Curtis and I connected in ways that we hadn’t before. Sure it was still strange being around someone so similar. But here we were, supporting one another, determined to reach the goals in life God intended us to achieve.

Ultimately, I passed the bar. Curtis? Well, he struggled a few more times before overcoming that obstacle. This humbled him in a way that really humanized Curtis. It was definitely a turning point in his life. Something that many of us can relate to.

In the meantime, this man met an incredible woman and proposed to her. You know it had to be in Paris, France. They had a beautiful wedding and bought a lovely home in a very desirable neighborhood in Los Angeles.

I was still renting, living with two roommates. I was, however, working as a Los Angeles County prosecutor. Curtis, ironically, also ended up working for the county doing civil litigation work. No matter what, I couldn’t escape him!

This guy was cut from the same clothe as Barack Obama. His future, unlimited.

But just as he was preparing for trial on his very first case, Curtis suddenly fell ill.

And he never recovered.

On May 7, 1994, Curtis Eugene Lipkins Jr. died of complications related to Sickle Cell. He was just two months shy of turning 30.

Today (July 13, 2010) is his birthday!

As I prepare to embark on this "America’s Court with Judge Ross" journey, Curtis is right here – constantly reminding me that he really would be better at this.

Much, much better!

But I’m going to give it my best, and hopefully you’ll like the show when it launches this fall.

In case you haven’t seen the promo, check it out!

Here’s to the people, past and present, who propel us forward in our lives.

To God be the glory, the one who truly sets the bar!

All Rise!

Boss Ross

(Don't forget to join our Facebook group, and follow us on Twitter .)

Breaking News: Writer, Producer and Undercover Black Man Blogger David Mills Dead At 48

By Kevin Ross, CEO of 3BAAS Media Group

Acclaimed writer and fellow blogger David Mills has died of a brain aneurysm.

WOW! This is devastating.

I absolutely loved reading his blog Undercover Black Man over the last few years. After getting to know David through exchanging emails, I actually interviewed the scribe on my Blogtalkradio show last August. We even laughed how Deadline's Nikki Finke scooped everyone on the news about his upcoming HBO series. He was such a nice guy and creative genius!

On Monday March 29, David posted a clip of his new cable show "Treme", excitedly claiming that it would be airing in two weeks. He would be dead the following day.

"He was very quiet and introverted, but spoke volumes when he wrote," New Orleans actor Wendell Pierce, who starred in The Wire and will also appear in Treme, said of Mills.

"He challenged us as actors and he challenged Americans when it came to matters of race. He was one of the more talented people working in TV. He made it much more than just empty entertainment."

Pierce said Mills collapsed suddenly on set Tuesday during a conversation with colleagues. The cast and crew held a memorial for Mills on the set Wednesday morning, he added. Ironically, when I actually interviewed David in May 2009, he talked about the need to quit smoking, lose weight, and get healthy for the rigors of writing and producing the show.

“The Wire”,” NYPD Blue”, "Picket Fences", “Homicide” and “ER” all have this man's imprimatur on them. One of a small number of working African American writers in Hollywood, Mills also created the NBC 2003 series “Kingpin,” about a Mexican drug cartel.

Most notably, David co-wrote and co-produced “The Corner,” adapted from David Simon’s book about drug abuse and poverty in Baltimore, which won three Emmys.



Before writing for television, David Mills worked as a journalist and gained national attention for a 1992 interview with the hip-hop performer Sister Souljah in The Washington Post, in which she said, “If black people kill black people every day, why not have a week and kill white people?”

When the Rainbow Coalition later invited Sister Souljah to speak at its convention, the group was criticized by Gov. Bill Clinton, then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, who cited Mills’s interview.

His latest project "Treme" is about jazz, culture and the folks trying to rebuild their lives in a post-Katrina New Orleans. The series is named after the Creole neighborhood known for its rich, irrepressible musical history. Mills was not only a writer on the project, but co-executive producer as well.

According to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, David passed away in New Orleans where the seried was filmed. Funeral arrangements are still pending.

HBO said Wednesday in a statement:

HBO is deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend and colleague David Mills. He was a gracious and humble man, and will be sorely missed by those who knew and loved him, as well as those who were aware of his immense talent. David has left us too soon but his brilliant work will live on.

In addition to his passion for writing, David was a music aficionado -- particularly when it came to anything having to do with George Clinton, Parliament and The Funkadelics. His blog, Undercover Black Man allowed the 48-year-old to indulge himself with not only lesser known artists, but also issues concerning what it meant to be black, the absurdity of racism, and injustice in the US and abroad.

David's observations were blunt, biting, clever, and always thought provoking.

You can listen to my Blogtalkradio interview with David Mills here and hear him discuss why he fought so hard to get other black writers into the room.

You can also check out the Treme trailer here.

Per Broadcasting and Cable, Mills wrote two of Treme's episodes: numbers three and seven (with New Orleans musician/writer Davis Rogan). Though Mills was new to New Orleans when production began, he was very quickly energized by the city's rich musical scene.

"Treme" premieres April 11 on HBO.

3BAAS Media Group would like to extend our condolences to the Mills family. Rest in peace David. Job well done my friend!

Source

Kevin Ross Joins Nancy Grace and Nate Berkus As Fall's New Daytime Line-up Takes Shape

America's Court A Firm Go!

Entertainment Studios will premiere America's Court With Judge Ross on broadcast and cable this
 fall, having cleared the legal strip in 75% of the country.

"We are pleased to have greatly expanded our company's nationwide clearance of America's Court with Judge Ross," said Andrew Temple, President of Domestic Television Distribution for Entertainment Studios.

Created by multihyphenate Byron Allen, Entertainment Studios is set to produce and deliver a minimum of 26 weeks of
 original episodes of America's Court in high definition as well as 26 weeks 
of repeats. The show joins weekly E/I program The Young Icons, which also has been cleared for a 2010 launch under the Entertainment Studios banner, and Career Day, recently picked up by the Sinclair Broadcast Group for 2011.

In entering the daytime syndication arena, Allen assumes his place among a select group of African Americans (think Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry) who are successfully producing content they own, control and distribute to increasingly diverse audiences looking for quality programming.

As America's Court continues to generate strong buzz, television stations are still being offered the one-hour block as two half-hour episodes.





Groups who have already signed on include Weigel, Scripps, Media General, Acme, Cox, 
Raycom, Barrington, Ellis, Journal, Belo, Bonton, LIN, New Age and Sinclair. 


Scheduled to film in Los Angeles, 'Court' joins The Nate Berkus Show (Harpo/Sony) and Swift Justice with Nancy Grace (CTD) as one of three freshman daytime skeins confirmed to debut in 2010.

And according to tvnewscheck.com, America's Court will also run on
 one of Entertainment Studios six high-definition cable networks that were 
launched on Verizon's FiOS broadband systems last September.





America's Court with Judge Ross shows litigants unique ways in which they can responsibly deal with their unlawful or wrongful acts, and also forces wrongdoers to reflect on the consequences of their transgressions.

Kevin A. Ross, 46, has been a judge, prosecutor and media personality
 in Southern California. He is also president and CEO of 3BAAS Media Group, which will serve as a producer on the show.

Source

Join Kevin Ross on His Online Radio Show Tonight To Discuss Tiger Woods & Barack Obama

Healthcare, Afghanistan, and Affairs -- Oh My!

Sports and politics may not mix, but these two biracial men are grabbing headlines of late so we have to discuss what the whole world is talking about.

Golf superstar Tiger Woods and our President, with the plummeting poll numbers, are on the menu. But be forewarned. This will be a spicy dish.

Join Kevin Ross, the former judge and KABC talk radio host, as he dissects what's really going on. We'll see you at 7pm PST on Blogtalkradio. The call in number is (347) 945-5939. Don't miss it!

Does This Black Republican Understand Sarah Palin's Appeal? You Betcha!

The GOP All Pause!

by Kevin Ross

This was the post that started it:

"Many of you know I'm a Republican. Before I give you my thoughts, however, I'm curious to know what you guys REALLY think of former Alaska Governor and GOP VP candidate Sarah Palin?"

Who could have imagined that this question would illicit such an avalanche of insightful, hilarious, disturbing, and outrageous comments from many of my African American Facebook friends?

I certainly couldn't. But I completely understand why the controversial political vixen is "Going Rogue"... all the way to the bank.

Having been on Facebook now for almost two years, I have NEVER had 55 comments on anything I posted. The closest was when I asked my over 1900 friends to use one word to describe me. That garnered about 31 replies. Even cajoling folks to recall how we met only snag 29 willing participants. Take for example this comment:

"I thinks she's a "back asswards", intellectually "dithering", bobblehead whose absolutely dangerous in her willful and purposeful stupidity and ignorance."

So for the moose-hunting darling of the GOP to have this many individuals bag, dis, clown and essentially give no dap to a "Richard Nixon in lipstick" tells me there is something extra special about this "MILF" of five and grandmother to a boy whose daddy is big on armpit hair.

And Sarah Palin is "all sorts of pissed about it." No, not just about the recent Newsweek cover featuring her looking quite fetching in a sexy jogger number that amply shows off her gams. Those liberal media news outlets are all on her doo-doo list -- particularly that porn collage called Playgirl featuring the suddenly ubiquitous and perennial thorn in her side Levi Johnston.

It's that righteous indignation that Palin has down to a science that have some on the political left and moderates on the right regularly experiencing Schadenfreude whenever the 45-year-old is knocked down a peg.

And yet everyone who gets on board the SS Sarah Smile strikes gold. Katie Couric effortlessly makes Palin look mentally numb and voila, her ratings and reputation for being a stellar journalist suddenly reappear. SNL's Tina Fey portrays a spot-on caricature of presidential candidate John McCain's unusual vice-president choice and walks away with an Emmy.

Oprah invites Palin on her show for a gabfest and reinforces, during November sweeps and the announced ending of her syndicated talker no less, why Winfrey's the queen of daytime. Associated Press reporters must really love her. With 11 reporters assigned to fact-check Palin's HarperCollins tomb Going Rogue during the midst of company layoffs, I'm sure few are complaining at AP, particularly when the alternative would be job hunting during a sustained economic downturn.

We won't even talk about the book publishing world that is thanking God-Almighty for delivering a tectonic wonder woman capable of moving 1.6 million books with lightening speed off the shelves to salvage what has otherwise been a disastrous year for many New York literary companies.

Yet despite Sarah Palin's success as a wife, a mother, politician, opinion leader and now author, large numbers of black people just are not feeling her. Another comment echoed the sentiments of many:

"Sarah Palin perfectly represents the backwards-thinking types in this country who are, more often than not, uneducated and not exposed to people of different cultures. I dislike her, not because she's a Republican, but because she stirs up so much moronic rhetoric. She does nothing to push forward an intelligent discussion. I am not even a Democrat, I'm an Independent. While I have close friends as well as my father who are Republican, I have serious doubts about the intelligence of anyone who seriously supports Palin."

While my Facebook compadres pale to Palin's 1 million plus supporters, another person who I attended college with years ago went much deeper:

"As I watched the opening ceremony of this year's RNC convention as I do every four years, I was taken aback by her nasty and snarky comments. Her divisive behavior continued on the campaign trail. As a Christian, I was struck by her dishonesty and outright unchristian-like behavior. Sarah Palin is part and parcel of the problem that has created this frenzy in the extreme right wing fringe of the Republican party. This is the same group who is now selling t-shirts using scripture to abdicate the assassination of the President of the United States.

Palin is far from stupid, but certainly media hungry and a political scab willing to cut down anyone to further her own agenda. Another LIAR in the political arena, but too slow to cover her own story.

While I wish to never hear from Sarah Palin again, she will never go away as long as she can draw the lines she gets in conservative states like Michigan. She is divisive to the country and the Republican party as a whole. What a can of worms McCain opened when he selected her. He had several excellent choices to pick as a viable female running mate, and now we will have her hanging around our neck for years."

Me, I totally get why Blacks can't stand her. When you see the overwhelmingly white men and women rabid over the barracuda from Wasilla, quite a few look like a mix of trailer park dwellers, KKK recruiters, and backwoods hillbillies. Progressive African Americans are not letting the "yahoos" back into the mix without a verbal beatdown, and thus the sometimes shrill but no less robotic, Pavlovian response whenever Palin's name is even whispered.

But I also understand why middle America, the hockey moms, NASCAR fans, Ann Coulter, and small business owners are sprung. They are among those 4 million viewers that Fox News regularly caters to. Sarah Palin is hands down the most attractive Republican candidate since Ronald Reagan stepped on the scene to die-hard, GOP enthusiasts waiting with open arms. And while people joked about how stupid and how much of a light-weight the B-movie actor was, Reagan knew how to work a camera and television screen.

Also a former governor, Reagan (who had enough sense to finish out his term before making a White House run) was a blue-ribbon superstar in that he was able to raise money and get people to buy into his bigger than life persona, all the while maintaining his common man touch. Possessing charisma and charm the likes of which had not been seen before, Ronald Reagan had the "it" factor, something no other Republican leader has had since he exited stage left.

Until Sarah Palin!

Now, do I believe the 2008 trophy candidate was qualified to be president? Absolutely not. I had already decided that I was casting my vote for then Senator Barack Obama even before Palin gave me a little wink. After her debut, I was that much more convinced that my party was going down in flames on the down-ticket races as well. Sarah Palin was a cynical choice, based on having a limited pedigree that perfectly fit all the necessary boxes: good looking, pro-gun, pro-life, pro-military, driven, and a fresh face that would fire up the base without McCain being upstaged.

As for a woman being used to trump the historical significance of an African-American ascending to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue once Hillary Clinton was pummeled in the Democratic primary, well, that goes without saying.

On so many levels, however, Sarah Palin has exemplified the same intangible attributes our current president possesses. There is something special about Barack Hussein Obama. Despite over-promising and under-delivering, Obama has the ability to captivate and mesmerize. He has tapped into the country's change zeitgeist, even if the results are mixed at best.

That in itself is no small fete. It requires a tactical, resilient individual who not only understands their brand, but recognizes that it's more potent than lightening in a bottle. At least during their 15 minutes of fame. This is why so many people unknowingly embolden Sarah Palin every time they relegate her to being a clueless tool for those who ultimately want Obama to fail and fail miserably.

Yet, these are the same citizens baffled as to why demagogue Rush Limbaugh is more popular than ever, while CNN continues to rearrange the Titanic deck chairs when it comes to their dismal ratings and dwindling influence in the hardball political journalism arena.

Is Palin academically challenged? Duh! And here is where any comparisons to President Obama end. As Oprah was very fond of saying, "He's brilliant!" Palin, well... not so much.

That notwithstanding, do Sarah Palin's other assets more than make up for her lacking of intellectual rigor? Can a audacious gal who's easy on the eyes, carries herself a certain way, has her own authentic message of hope, and who demonstrates a tenacious work ethic get over in this country (i.e. get paid and be a potential king maker) without running for president in 2012?

Res ipsa loquitur. That's Latin Sarah, for the fact speaks for itself.

Kevin Ross is president and CEO of 3BAAS Media Group and an online host for Blogtalkradio.com

Who's On The Outs in Black America, And Who's Stepping Up?

Beverly Bond's '09 Black Girls Rock Awards
No Punches, Just Praise as Tyson, Holyfield Meet
White House Starts Newsletter Targeting African Americans

Rape a Weapon of War in Congo, Activists Say

Black Philly Murder Victim Selene Raynor: Why???

Beyonce & Lady Gaga Collaborating

McCain Tells Obama to Pardon Black Boxing Champion
Celebrating the First Black Cover Girl Katiti Kironde
Elder Bush Sees 'Ugliness' in Attacks on Obama
Fox Fires Liberal Black Analyst Dr. Marc Lamont Hill
Diddy Loses $20,000 Ring During BET Show Taping
Obama Administration Shifting Policy on Sudan

Source

The Kevin Ross Show Takes On The "Evil" Barack Obama, The "Strange" Van Jones, The "Disturbed" Maia Campbell and The "Bizarre" Kinsey Collection

NOT!

Although now that we have your attention, make sure you tune in Wednesday 09-09-09 as Boss Ross talks all about the controversial issues everyone's buzzing over.

What's your reaction to the insanity surrounding Barack Obama? What's next for Van Jones? How is Maia Campbell doing after the video tape looking not quite herself went viral.

Plus, we'll take you inside The Kinsey Collection, debuting this week at the Mary Brogan Musuem in Tallahassee, Florida. That's 7:00pm PST tonight, only on Blogtalkradio.

Segregated LA Radio Hosts, The Glenn Beck Boycott & Non Urban Dictates!

Talk Radio’s Unpatriotic Airwaves

By Kevin Ross

On KRLA AM 870, a Salem Network talk station broadcasting from Glendale, the day kicks off with Bill Bennett, followed by Mike Gallagher, Dennis Prager, Michael Medved, Hugh Hewitt, and Dennis Miller. Kevin James rounds out the evening.

Aside from the fact that each of these individuals is unabashedly conservative, they also have something else in common. All of them are men. White men!

Switch over to Southern California’s number one talk station, powerhouse KFI AM 640, and the Monday through Friday line-up is slightly more “balanced”. George Noury begins at midnight. Next up is Bill Handel’s morning drive, then the political musings of Rush Limbaugh. John Kobylt and Ken Chiampou pick up the torch during afternoon drive before former MTV personality Kennedy and Brian Suits close it out.

Although all the personalities are Caucasian, only one woman - Kennedy - is prominently featured on the roster. The no-nonsense advice from Dr. Laura Schlesinger is gone after nearly two decades.


Travel across town to rival KABC AM 790 and you’ll find the L.A. station that invented the all-talk radio format almost fifty years ago also has a white male weekday lead host in every one of its time slots. This is a far cry from when Joe Ortiz in 1971 became the first Mexican American in US history to conduct a talk show on an English-language, commercial radio station on KABC.

Up until last year, The Citadel owned outlet was home to nationally syndicated host Larry Elder.

Known as the “Sage of South Central”, Elder’s conservative Libertarian opinions were espoused three and sometimes four hours a day on the station for 15 years. In fact KABC, which also owned KMPC AM 710 The Zone before it became Radio Disney and later ESPN, had at one point six black talk show hosts on two stations as part of its line-up in the late 90’s.

Elder was among them. He was not only the most successful, but also the most controversial for what many believed were “anti-black” views.
For now, however, only civil rights attorney Leo Terrell is on the air at KABC. His show relegated to Sunday evenings. KFI has African American financial advisor Charles Payne, from 2-4 on Saturdays. Other people of color need not apply.

ALL WHITE, ALL THE TIME

This "preference for white" in Los Angeles, the second largest media market in the country behind New York, is nothing new. With Elder’s continued absence, however, the racial disparities now go beyond jarring. Of the five remaining talk outlets, not one has a Native American, Latino, or African American holding court on the dial during the week.

In fact, all the data suggests that not one Asian has EVER regularly hosted a talk show on an English-language station in Southern California.

Up until very recently this year, there were 46 individuals being given incredible opportunities to make hordes of cash and hold sway over public opinions on the issues facing the nation.


Of the cast of characters, 37 were white men, mostly over 40, and frequently accused of demagoguery. White women make up the rest, equally split in terms of their political ideology and two not sharing top billing with their male co-host.
The CBS owned KLSX 97.1 was on the FM dial. Also lacking in the diversity area, that station is officially dead, having been replaced with Top 40, which ironically, is very diverse.

When President Barack Obama talked about change coming to America on the campaign trial, was this one of the examples he was referring to?

Most answers come hastily with a resounding yes.

But this issue is not just a West Coast phenomenon. Across the country, public financed and privately held stations are banishing minorities to the unemployment line in favor of nationally syndicated hosts like Sean Hannity and Mark Levin.

According to the blog Urban Radio Nation, the only black talk radio stations in the United States are WVON Chicago; WURD Philadelphia; CBS Radio's WAOK in Atlanta and Radio One's WOL in DC, WOLB in Baltimore and WERE in Cleveland.

Journalist Michael Meyers, Executive Director of the New York Civil Rights Coalition, actually began tabulating and analyzing radio stations' managers' responses to an employment survey of non-white talk show hosts in the Big Apple eight years ago. "The facts are that AM Talk radio stations all around the country have and continue to broadcast only whites," asserted Meyers.

"The results of the survey surprised us," he continued, "because of the stated and/or assumed emphasis on diversity in other media such as TV and newspapers. There are, for example, non-white journalists, columnists and editorial staff/ board members at every daily newspaper in New York; and there are non-white talk show hosts, anchors, and commentators on TV.”

Well, that was until the Tribune’s, McClatchy’s and News Corps’ started letting these individuals go as they attempt to weather bankruptcy, or write-downs of $21.7 million and $6.4 billion respectively.

Is it any wonder then that Meyers’ findings continue to fall on deaf ears? Flagrant discrimination based on race on the airwaves still exists even as America pats itself on the back for electing the nation’s first African American president.

Moreover, on-air diversity is actually receding, with many in the industry concluding that it doesn't matter if the ring leader rocking the microphone is of the same gender and race time and time again.

But others are now pointing to signs that terrestrial radio’s undisputed reign may be waning, especially in a fast-changing world full of rivals like iPods, satellite radio and ever burgeoning Internet radio outlets such as Blogtalkradio.

BLAME IT ON THE ECONOMY

Per 2008 revenues, terrestrial radio is a $15 billion dollar a year hustle. And yet for many, radio is a bad business to be in right now. The industry has suffered its worst decline since 1954, its eighth consecutive “struggling” year.

ABC News puts it all in context. “The radio industry, just like newspapers and books and other forms of media, is facing an unprecedented financial crunch. Radio advertising revenue dropped by 9 percent in the third quarter of 2008 compared with the same period in the previous year, and many radio companies are saddled with huge amounts of debt.

As a result, more stations are turning to syndicated programming. Radio stations typically can broadcast syndicated shows at no cost; they just have to allow a distributor to sell some of the commercials on the show. In some cases, it's cheaper for a station to air syndicated programming than to hire a local talk show host.”

That may be a wise strategy, but a heavy focus on national shows creates another problem: The next generation of on-air personalities won't have the opportunity to learn their craft at radio stations if there are no on-air shifts for them to take.

Media giant Clear Channel Communications, which owns more than 1,200 US radio stations including KFI, is actually down-sizing.

The company recently laid-off 9 percent of its employees. Of those 1,850 workers, comprised of radio personalities and executives, few will be able to find jobs in an industry that will likely see even deeper cuts unless the economy rebounds by the third quarter of 2009.

At a 52-week high of $25.69, Clear Channel’s shares are currently hovering around $5.00 and there are whispers that the mega-conglomerate is headed for bankruptcy.

Other radio stocks are also performing horribly. Regent Communications sank 94% to 9 cents last year, and Citadel dropped 92% to 16 cents a share (currently it’s at 6 cents). According to Reuters, the rest of the carnage looks like this: Emmis Communications down 91%, Entercom off 90%, Salem Communications down 89%, Radio One off 81%, Cumulus Media down 79%, Saga Communications down 72%, Beasley Broadcast off 64% and Cox Radio down 51%.

Then there's the matter of precedent. Radio stations have never really embraced diversity. And without much sustained outcry from civil rights groups or the Federal Communications Commission, these outlets have absolutely no incentive to do so now.

In California, for instance, Tavis Smiley is the only minority in the state with an English language nationally syndicated talk radio show. Smiley, a popular African American author and PBS television personality who is also a KABC alum, lives in Los Angeles along with his contemporaries such as CNN’s Larry King, formerly of KGIL, and Adam Corolla, formally of KLSX, who is now podcasting via the Web. Despite the odds, Smiley broke through and is succeeding with aplomb.

This racial gerrymandering is not simply limited to on-air talent. The only discernible nonwhite employees in KFI’s news department, judging by the station’s web page, are Asian anchor Ginger Chan and Latina Editor Karla Marquez.

The rest of the 15 member crew is completely white, with 6 of them being female. While producer Ray Lopez of the John and Ken show is Latino, there are likely few, if any, other minority producers employed. Veteran radio talent Mark Austin Thomas, who is African American, was recently added to helm the on-air news department at KABC.

For most, particularly women of color, the glass ceiling is showing no signs of breaking. The recent cancellation of LA based NPR’s News & Notes with Farai Chideya (a black female national host) due to financial constraints was one small crack that was quickly sealed.

That leaves Dominique DiPrima of the Stevie Wonder owned Adult Contemporary station 102.3 FM KJLH. DiPrima offers up daily talk from 4:30-6:00 am before the all music format kicks in. Although with a much more limited reach, Bobbi Howe at 1460 AM KTYM also has a daily program on the gospel station.

With that being as good as it gets, is it any wonder why the political commentary or pop culture discussions that play out on cable news or the Sunday political shows tend to only reflect the views of a segment of the majority?

Could this further explain the recent controversy over BMW automotive company’s 'Non Urban Dictate' policy? Sure, there may be legitimate reasons for businesses not using print or electronic “urban” media outlets. It may be that Blacks don't index high in certain categories or that a company's strategy is to market to this niche down the road after they have established a strong position in their primary target.

But, NUD usually means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. And much of this could be attributable to the media entities themselves.

DON IMUS WAS GONE… AND THEN POOF, HE WAS THERE AGAIN

When acerbic radio personality Don Imus created the “nappy-headed ho’” firestorm after his 2007 comments about Rutgers women’s basketball team sparked universal outrage, mainstream media was suddenly looking for insight from self-appointed and elected black leaders. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, who himself has a syndicated program, mentioned that political talk shows don't have minorities as their main hosts, (para) "It's all white… all night."

Those partial comments came on the heels of MSNBC snatching Imus from his morning cable show and then teeing up possible replacements. As J.C “Fanz23” Lewis, Jr of the Black conservative blog “Keeping it Right” pointed out, KABC’s Elder was given the opportunity to "tryout" for a week. Afterwards, no other African American was afforded the courtesy of auditioning to be a talking head. Not one.

Ultimately congressman turned media personality Joe Scarborough got the gig (along with Bill O’Reilly’s old slot on KABC) and black screenwriter John Riley became part of the morning team briefly before quickly fading off the scene.

As for Imus, he was back on the air after a year with an undisclosed financial settlement from CBS. KABC is the current radio home for the cantankerous sexagenarian, who has seen his clout and his national ratings only slightly diminish since the incident and is currently being courted by the struggling Fox Business Channel to return with his cable broadcast.

The upside is Imus now has two African American as part of his morning crew. Bravo, considering in all likelihood they would be collecting unemployment benefits alongside other black hosts who know first-hand how tough it is to land a gig in the current climate.

Even at stations where non-whites are employed as talk show hosts, tokenism seems to triumph. Meyers reports states, “There may be ‘a’ black talk show host, but seldom blacks, and Latinos, and Asians among the talk show host line-ups on the stations that broadcast all-day and into the night and even into the wee hours of the morning. Whether commercially-sponsored or listener, corporate funded, these AM radio stations possibly perceive minority talk show hosts either as hard to find or not available-- or as not "as qualified" or "as entertaining" as the Caucasians they consistently employ.”

Maybe we’re overlooking a major issue. Could it be because high ratings the stations are receiving implementing this policy that justifies the status quo?

According to figures based on the Arbitron survey of listeners from June 25 through July 22, talk station KFI-AM (640) slipped from 4.6% to 4.4% and tied for second.

So there you have it.

Well, not so fast. While KFI consistently finishes far ahead of most formats, its talk rival’s numbers tell a different story. KABC-AM (790) tied for 25th, with a 1.5% audience share, while KRLA-AM (870) was 36th, KTLK-AM (1150) was 41st and KGIL-AM (1260) was 50th. This effective use of non-people of color explains why KGIL station management finally let the station flatline, immediately replacing it with a music format effective August 28.

And CBS Radio has just announced that news station KFWB will turn to a talk format come Sept. 8, recycling Schlessinger and Fox News Channel fill-in yakker Laura Ingraham, as well as adding yet another white male outside the state, Philadelphia’s Michael Smerconish.

This of course all makes sense. It’s the same argument being advanced in sports talk, where athletes of color in fields including basketball, football, baseball and soccer take center stage. For better or worse, these shows talk about these athletes, but rarely are minorities leading the discussion.

Two notable exceptions are The Michael Irvin Show, hosted by the former Dallas Cowboy star, and The 2 Live Stews, featuring Doug and Ryan Stewart. Both are intent on muscling their way onto the scene with impressive results. But these developments may not do enough to placate talk radio junkies fired up with “Yes We Can” audacity.

And their discontent will only become increasingly impolite as the simmering battle playing out between President Barack Obama and Limbaugh, gathers steam.

FAIRNESS DOCTRINE 2.0

Radio personality Bill Press has opined that the ongoing Commander in Chief versus the King of Talk slugfest is Exhibit A why Congress should re-enact the Fairness Doctrine, the federal ruling to insure that different voices are able to speak with equal force and influence on matters of public discourse. Having recently lost his syndicated spot on OBAMA AM 1260 AM in Washington D.C., here’s a recent exchange between Press and US Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI):

PRESS: Yeah, I mean, look: They have a right to say that. They’ve got a right to express that. But, they should not be the only voices heard. So, is it time to bring back the Fairness Doctrine?

STABENOW: I think it’s absolutely time to pass a standard. Now, whether it’s called the Fairness Standard, whether it’s called something else — I absolutely think it’s time to be bringing accountability to the airwaves. I mean, our new president has talked rightly about accountability and transparency. You know, that we all have to step up and be responsible. And, I think in this case, there needs to be some accountability and standards put in place.

PRESS: Can we count on you to push for some hearings in the United States Senate this year, to bring these owners in and hold them accountable?

STABENOW: I have already had some discussions with colleagues and, you know, I feel like that’s gonna happen. Yep.

Locally, Press broadcasts on KTLK AM 1150 with comedian Stephanie Miller, Randy Rhodes, and MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow. The Clear Channel station - to their credit - has the most women on the L.A. airwaves. And we’re not talking sidekicks.

And yet KTLK’s “left leaning” ideology doesn’t square up with their hosts daily diatribes about how the Republican Party is this “bastion of out-of-touch white men”. Guess what? Everyone at KTLK Monday through Friday is also white. Public radio stations 89.9 FM KCRW and 90.7 FM KPFK, with their progressive mantras, are also woefully lacking.

So for all the hand-wringing Press engages in over the Fairness Doctrine, his angst completely obfuscates the issue that even “liberal” talk outlets can’t reconcile.
Rush Limbaugh’s assertion that traditional radio should not be regulated is actually a sound argument.

The Fairness Doctrine would negatively impact an already challenged industry in tuned to what its audience wants. The real issue is one of opportunities missed, and industry leaders having enough foresight and introspection to not only say “What are we doing?” but “Why are we continuing to do it?”

Look at Sirius XM, a satellite company whose stock was trading at 8 cents. Now up to a whopping 65 cents a share as they continue to hemorrhage money and subscribers, what will this mean for the likes of Oprah Winfrey and friends and other shows featuring minorities? Don't look to the NAACP, in the midst of their centennial celebration, for answers.

Even Radio One, the largest radio broadcast company targeting African Americans and urban listeners, had to dropped Reverend Al Sharpton and Warren Ballentine from their roster earlier this year as they had no other option but to pair down.

Within the last 21 months, Radio One has gone from owning 70 stations in 22 markets, to 52 in 16 markets. Right now, their previously announced 2009 annual shareholders’ meeting, scheduled for September 17, 2009, has been delayed by the US Securities and Exchange Commission so that the company actively fighting against the controversial “Performance Tax” could adequately respond to questions from the SEC.

INTERNET RADIO TO THE RESCUE

No wonder bloggers, and specifically the black blogosphere, have become the go-to folks for bringing issues such as these to the forefront. And for many, sites like Blogtalkradio are assisting in that effort.

One of several online stations that have come on the scene in the last few years, Blogtalkradio allows anyone with a phone and a computer to host and podcast their own Internet radio program for free.

Last year the social networking site saw exponential growth with hundreds of hosts from all racial and ethnic groups. In November 2008, some 3.8 million listeners tuned in to Blogtalkradio, nearly 750,000 or 16% of which were African-American alone. These folks clearly have something to say and are finding an audience, albeit small, eager to hear it.

Obviously, however, these hosts are playing in the minors while superstars like Limbaugh reign supreme in the big league.

"I have a very simple philosophy ... put the very best product you can on the air, regardless of origin," says Gabe Hobbs, a senior vice president for programming at Clear Channel for twenty-five years.

Hobbs was among those recently laid off at the San Antonio, TX based company as a result of low ad sales.

In 2010, blacks are estimated to spend $1 trillion dollars. Hispanics are on tap to exceed $1.2 trillion by 2011. Both groups listen to talk, yet unanswered text messages to radio execs are saying loud and clear, “I’m just not into you.”

“These hiring authorities, in contrast to their reputations for being visionaries and innovative programmers, don't appear to be as either visionary or innovative; but, rather, they seem awkward or clueless, oblivious or insensitive about their responsibility for inclusive hiring. This lack of inclusiveness appears to be a failure of leadership rather than as outright racism or the intentional exclusion of minorities,” says Meyers.

Meyers goes on to point out that the widely-held perception that mainstream, majority-owned AM Talk Radio stations are broadcasting mostly or only Caucasian talk show hosts daily is accurate.

“This is a problem of defacto racial segregation that is both easily recognizable and easily fixed. It is a challenge to the stations' executives-- people of good-will, to a person, we are sure-- for prompt, corrective action,” Meyers concludes.

These were the identical words he used in 2000. Eight years later, News/Talk became the number one format in terrestrial radio. Meanwhile, former KGIL host Glenn Beck manages to take to the mic daily despite advertisers scurrying away from his astringent cable television show in droves.

So while the vitriol toward Congress to have music artists paid royalties by radio stations plays out, media companies through their actions are sending a clear message: they are committed to apartheid on the public airways.

As one Hispanic group lamented, “There is absolutely no ethnic or racial balance in KABC programming and they have no Mexican-American or other Latino talk hosts.”

The words were uttered back in 2006. And yet during this same time period, the US Census Bureau was reporting that White Americans made up only 48.7% of the total population. While Blacks comprise 9.9%, American Indians 0.5% and Asian and Pacific Islanders Americans made up 10.8%, Latinos accounted for a whopping 31.1%

Sound check one-two, one-two! Is this thing on?

There’s a saying that goes “I can’t hear you, because your actions are speaking too loudly.” Well, for companies under the control of the FCC such as Cumulus, Westwood One, Citadel, CBS, Premiere, Cox, Salem and Clear Channel, the silence of minority voices is most certainly not golden. In fact, it’s just the opposite.

To the point now where… it’s deafening.

Kevin Ross is president and CEO of strategic marketing firm 3BAAS Media Group. A former talent on KABC, he currently hosts his own show on Blogtalkradio. This updated version of the story was originally posted earlier this year.

Rev. Al Sharpton Takes Media To Task About Michael Jackson, Ends Up Saving A Soul!

(Terrence, right, with CA Assemblyman Mike Davis)

FIRST AME CHURCH CELEBRATES CHANGE, ONE MAN IN THE MIRROR AT A TIME

Driving up from San Diego, Terrence was a tall, lean, young black man with God on his mind. He couldn't have a picked a better morning. It was a beautiful communion Sunday at First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, California.

As the city awakened after joining with the rest of the country celebrating barbeque, family, freedom and fireworks - all the typical things associated with the 4th of July - now was the time for a different type of commemoration.

This day was particularly special to Terrence and others as they began the official mourning, and for throngs of fans a deeper level of grieving, over the still incalculable loss of music icon Michael Jackson.


Before the 10:00 AM service, it was agreed that the controversial political and civil rights social activist Reverend Al Sharpton would say a few words on Michael Jackson’s behalf. Sharpton met with First AME Pastor John Hunter, First Lady Denise Hunter, and a host of recognized community leaders in the criminal justice, legal, political, and ecumenical arenas.

While this was unfolding, a cacophony of mainstream media outlets descended south of Interstate 10 tasked with ferreting out any additional information about the legendary talent who, even in death, has seen renewed appreciation for his extraordinary talent.

Since word spread of Jackson’s death, radio airplay for songs including “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” Pretty Young Thing” and “Remember The Time” has increased by a staggering 1,735%.

Sales of his solo albums “Thriller” and “Off The Wall” are up an unprecedented 4,000-percent, from 10,000 copies sold the week before his death to 422,000 sold for the week that ended June 28, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

And he has caused over 1 million people across the globe to salivate over the improbable chance that they, straight from the pages of Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory, will be so lucky as to witness a special memorial tribute at the fortress-like Staples Center, a mere four miles away from the sanctuary that just the week prior LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa chose to be sworn into his second term in office.

The purpose of Al Sharpton’s visit to the oldest black church in the Southland was to announce the commencement of a “Love Vigil” Tuesday July 7.

This would not only take place at Staples, the adjacent Nokia Theatre and First AME, but the goal was that it would spread to countless venues around the world.

In addition, efforts had already begun to have a national day of honor along with a postage stamp to recognize the King of Pop’s significant contributions to the arts.

Not that Terrence was necessary consumed by these things taking place. Wearing a simple t-shirt, black jeans and black tennis shoes, he listened as Pastor Walt “Baby” Love schooled those in attendance about Michael Jackson’s classic “Man in The Mirror” song, played during a three minute video tribute that paid homage to the award winning entertainer’s incredible journey.

Pastor Love revealed how the acclaimed gospel family “The Winans” had actually sung back-up on the track, and that noted gospel singer Pastor Andre Crouch had arranged the song that continues to give special meaning to so many.

But then the conversation at the pulpit quickly turned to more somber news, including the murder of famed former NFL Quarterback Steve McNair, along with the heart-wrenching details of a congregation member who lost four family relatives in a fatal car accident.

Before audience members could completely absorb these tragedies, uplifting news came in the form of the FAME Assistance Program gearing up to host an inaugural, full-day school initiative over the summer for 100 kids in response to the Los Angeles Unified School District’s canceling of a majority of course studies due to massive cuts in education that continue to wreak havoc on California.

Palpable among Angelenos, the frustration over the state’s continued loss of millions of dollars while lawmakers in Sacramento try to resolve a bleak situation did not deter Terrence and others who sat in their pews and received the message being delivered by Al Sharpton.

In fact many shouted Amen as the Harlem-based pastor, never at a loss for words, thanked God for another day before describing how he first met Michael Jackson when he was only thirteen in 1969. He answered critics by detailing the numerous times he had stood by the Jackson Family before chastising the despicable way the media who, according to Sharpton, was attempting to destroy, degrade, denigrate and undermine a man who has broke every record in the history books. Or as he further noted, a genius that had to “deal with a freakish situation” in life.

By not showing the proper deference and respect for a struggling African American working family from Gary, Indiana who saw their dreams materialize, who proved to be a powerful symbol in the face of racism and discrimination, who have given so much to the world, Sharpton warned that this double standard playing out, through comparisons to the passing of Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley, had clear racial undertones.

Undeterred, he preached about how these global vigils would deal with the message, while the media would be reduced to dealing with the mess.

But it was Reverend Sharpton’s statements about praising God through trials, tribulations and suffering, no matter what a person is going through, that clearly resonated with the congregation and elicited the longest standing ovations among the many.

After the church erupted in a crescendo of praise and Sharpton turned to take his seat on the pulpit, Pastor John made a call to anyone in the sanctuary who was ready to surrender their life to a Higher Power.

From nowhere, Terrence emerged. The toothy young man from San Diego rose from where he had been stationed, made his way to the altar, and accepted God in his life.

Of course for many, this was all overshadowed by the press conference that immediately followed. Here is where a long row of cameras rolled, shutters flickered, and questions were lobbed with ferocity about the details surrounding the actual funeral for Michael Jackson, the current status of his three small children, and musings over whether if more diversity was seen in the mainstream media, would that cause the tone to be less jarring and astringent.

Those questions would linger. But for one person who decided to follow Michael Jackson’s call to take a look at them self, it was a service like no other.

I’m starting with the man in the mirror
I’m asking him to change his ways.
And no message would have been any clearer
If you want to make the world a better place,
Take a look at yourself and make that… CHANGE!

July 5, 2009

By Kevin Ross, President & CEO 3BAAS Media Group

Congresswoman Maxine Waters Declares "EVERYBODY Is Now Paying Attention To Bloggers!"

"The blogging committee has emerged as a powerful force. We need more of you to focus on the war issue. Continue to do what you do. Corporate media is out. The New York Post was asking lobbyist to come to their event recently. The Blogosphere is what's happening. EVERYBODY is paying attention to bloggers!"
That's what Congresswoman Maxine Walters opined while speaking out about the war in Iraq, U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, health care, media and other hot political issues July 2, 2009 at Brave New Studios offices during an interview with Robert Greenwald.

Waters has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1991 for California's 35th congressional district. She sits on the Committee on the Judiciary and the subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security, among others. She also co-founded and chairs the Congressional Out of Iraq Caucus and serves as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

3BAAS Media Group's CEO Kevin Ross had a chance to speak to the Democratic House member from Los Angeles, who indicated that she wants to make her constituents benefit from the Broadband Stimulus Funds that will be available this year.

With more people receiving their news from the Internet than ever before, Brave New Studios have created a state-of-the-art media center geared toward compelling online content. At Brave New Foundation's headquarters in Culver City, California, their work includes cutting-edge video webcasting and pretaped shows seen by the online community around the world.

Since its inception in July of 2008, Brave New Studio has produced In Their Boots, This Brave Nation, Meet the Bloggers, and a series of debates about the war in Afghanistan as part of the documentary campaign, Rethink Afghanistan.

Brave New Studio is building the progressive infrastructure for the future of Internet news.

Special thanks to Our Weekly editor Kathy Williamson for facilitating the interview.