Watchdog Group Bites Stations

[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Allison Romano aromano@reedbusiness.com]
The Media Access Project is petitioning the Federal Communications Commission to deny license renewals to every English-language TV station in Chicago and Milwaukee. The stations failed "to meet the needs of their community of license," the petition states, by inadequately covering local and state politics last fall. The public interest law firm charges that less than 1% of the stations’ newscasts was devoted to non-federal elections in the four-week period leading up to Election Day 2004. Station executives immediately fired back, saying the petitions considered a narrow slice of time and did not give outlets credit for year-long political coverage and non-news programs, such as town- hall meetings and debates. “This mischaracterizes the extent of local political coverage in the market,” says Frank Biancuzzo, president/general manager for WISN Milwaukee, a Hearst-Argyle ABC affiliate, who adds that WISN expanded newscasts to cover additional political stories and aired live call-in shows with candidates and a mayoral debate. Local broadcasters believe they’re meeting their obligations. “They have a right to file this petition,” says Biancuzzo, “but it is misleading, irresponsible and unfair.” It’s unlikely the FCC will revoke the licenses. When the Commission adopted its current renewal guidelines in 1984, it eliminated programming requirements for local news and public affairs -- although it did cite local broadcasters’ "basic responsibility to contribute to the overall discussion of issues confronting the community."
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6281463?display=News&referral=SUPP
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