House Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.) and Hou...
House Commerce Committee ranking Democrat Dingell (Mich.) and House Telecom Subcommittee ranking Democrat Markey (Mass.) asked the FCC on Wed. whether Sinclair Bcst.’s plan to run an anti-Kerry documentary on all 62 of its stations violated the broadcaster’s public…
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interest obligations. In a letter to the FCC, Dingell and Markey wrote: “Airing programming such as ‘Stolen Honor’ just days before Election Day is to us, and many of our colleagues in Congress, inconsistent with the public interest that broadcasters are licensed to serve.” The Democratic members asked the FCC for a specific explanation how the FCC determines “whether an action by a licensee serves the public interest.” Dingell and Markey asked: (1) If it served the public interest to air a “one-sided propaganda piece” against a presidential candidate 2 weeks before an election. (2) If the FCC could deny a license renewal to a station that’s acted outside the public interest. The letter also cited the recent flap over CBS News’ broadcast of questionable documents, saying “that incident has reemphasized the need to ensure that broadcasters air accurate and balanced information about candidates seeking elected office.” The letter asked the FCC to answer the questions by Oct. 20. Meanwhile, Public interest groups called Wed. for the return of the FCC’s fairness doctrine and the personal attack rule in response to Sinclair Bcst.’s decision. Common Cause, the Alliance for Better Campaigns, Media Access Project, Media for Democracy and the United Church of Christ’s Office of Communication said nothing in current FCC rules requires Sinclair to give others the air time to provide contrasting views. The fairness doctrine, repealed by the FCC in 1987, had required broadcasters using public airwaves to provide balance in politically oriented programming. The personal attack rule, in force until 2000, gave individuals an opportunity to respond to character attacks over controversial issues. The groups said Sinclair’s using the public airwaves for a partisan purpose demonstrated the dangers of media consolidation. “Any decision by a broadcast station to use the publicly owned airwaves to promote one candidate over another raises questions about its fitness as a public trustee,” Alliance for Better Campaigns Exec. Dir. Meredith McGehee told reporters. Kerry had been invited by Sinclair to a panel discussion after the program, but he reportedly declined. Sinclair continued not to comment on the matter.