TV in bed with the government and/or vice versa

In our discussion of Streeter and Stern it is apparent that the government and television were always incorporated with one another... as a result of radio... as a result of telephone... telegraph... and whatever technology that came before that needed regulation.

There are many benefits of this symbiotic relationship, but of course most couplings also come with there downfalls. I think it is great that the government steps in to discourage monopolistic practices and limiting power where there is too much, although lately huge companies seem to be getting more time in the sheets--deregulation and cross-ownership being two current issues of government-media regulatory issues.

As we can tell from earlier readings, the government had been hellbent for quite some time on regulating ownership in both radio and television. The firm hand of the government seemed to hold strong from the inception of the FCC until the loosening of ownership regulations that came with the Telecommunications Act of 1996-- creating more opportunities for oligopolies to form under the pretense that the act would only enhance competition. Is this an example of that magical word "hegemony"? And if so can the subordinate-ruling status flip, because now it appears that instead of the TV industry consenting to the ruling by the government, the government as consented to the will of the networks allowing them more freedom and consequently more sway on the laws and regulations that govern them.