Rural TV Channel Circles the Wagons

America's heartland wants its RFD-TV. Fans of shows like "Classic Tractor Fever" and "All-American Cowgirl Chicks" are flooding regulators in Washington with their concerns about the potential hazards of media consolidation, specifically involving two proposed mergers.

Close to half of the thousands of letters submitted to the Federal Communications Commission as it reviews Comcast's proposed takeover of Time Warner Cable and AT&T 's planned acquisition of DirecTV come from viewers of RFD-TV, a rural-focused channel owned by independent programmer Rural Media Group. Viewers express worry that the media and cable consolidation will be bad news for RFD-TV and its programs on horsemanship, grain prices and country music.