During the late 1970's the second Carnegie Commission sparked an occasion for activity in the critique and reform of public television. There was an impressive coalition of media producers, labor, women's organizations, civil rights activists, progressive religious organizations and others who came together to appeal first to the commission and then directly to Congress to take the need for an authentic public television seriously. However, as far as I know it is still a law, and if citizens get organized, this is quite an important tool for community groups to have at their disposal. There is no Carnegie Commission at this time to focus a critique. Public television as it is now constituted would be too vulnerable, too open to criticism.
Labor is too militant.
As Seattle has demonstrated, progressive forces are too organized. So there has been no national forum for that sort of discussion. A reform movement for this new millennium has resources which were not present in the 1970's. Things are different now. There is potential for a broad movement for communication reform.