However, his business card reads Director of Telecommunications Studies, Cato Institute, and from that vantage point Mr. Thierer has demonstrated an impressive analysis of the media sector.

But I wonder how the senators reacted to his opening statements, which launched into a full-on pitch for his forthcoming book.

No sooner had he said good morning and introduced himself, Mr. Thierer plunged straight into plugging his book, like a guest on Charlie Rose or Letterman.

“Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for your invitation to testify here this morning on the important issue of media ownership regulation. This hearing is especially timely for me since I have a new book on this issue due out early next year entitled, “Media Myths: Making Sense of the Debate over Media Ownership." I chose that title because I have come to the conclusion that the debate over media ownership is being driven more by myth than reality,” Mr Thierer said.

The testimony is a good read, and Mr Thierer’s lance of reason quickly slays the seven-headed Hydra of media mythology. These myths include ideas such as: that there is not enough diversity in the media; there is less localization of media; that a greater concentration of media ownership is bad; and that a healthy democracy requires a regulated media sector to ensure high quality.

Mr. Theirer’s testimony goes on to describe a media sector that is not in trouble, or troublesome to society, but is in fact throwing up an abundance of news and other types of information, producing an increase in dialogue and debate. All good things in a healthy society, and I certainly agree with some of his points.

However, in his testimony, he did not mention bloggers, blogging, or blogs, yet the blogosphere must easily be the largest, and most diverse media entity in the world. (He seems unaware that this kind of disrespect is not tolerated well within the blogosphere.)

But he did allude to bloggers when he told the committee that anyone who thinks that the Internet hasn’t radically changed the nature of modern media “might want to ask Dan Rather what he thinks about the impact of new technologies on traditional media.”

His testimony described a switched on, wired US population, with a thirst for information and “ . . . with 72% of Americans now online and spending an average of nine hours weekly on the internet surfing through the 170 terabytes of information available online—which is seventeen times the size of the Library of Congress print collections.”

He should have gone further on this point, I believe, and said something along the lines of “and that includes surfing through about fifteen Library of Congress amounts of adult content, per week.” And in less than nine hours--isn't broadband wonderful.

It is a good read and I intend to keep it on file, as it has some very good statistical information in it. And I’m sure well meaning friends have already advised Mr. Thierer to rush out a chapter on blogging for his forth coming book.

Here is his testimony, “Overcoming Mythology in the Debate over Media Ownership.”