Economic liberalism is the doctrinal fig leaf. In the US, in 1995, bills passed in the House and Senate call for sweeping deregulation that would wipe out most impediments to media ownership. The Republicans have already scored their points. Public sector communications networks based on quality programming and news gathering objectivity are judged hostile to the media gulag, and hence targeted for liquidation. This legislation is premised on the Murdochian dogma that in the era of satelIite and cable television media ownership restrictions and controls are both pernicious and superfluous.