Broadcast Groups Pitch Chairman On Political File Compromise

An attorney and some top broadcast group execs met with Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski and Media Bureau staffers earlier this week to make a last-ditch pitch for their proposal to put aggregated political ad totals from candidates online, rather than individual ad buys.

The proposal was pitched earlier this year by Barrington Broadcasting Co., Belo Corp, Cox Media Group, Dispatch Broadcast Group, The E.W. Scripps Company, Gannett Broadcasting, Hearst Television, Meredith Broadcasting Group, Post-Newsweek, Stations, Raycom Media and Schurz Communications, as a win-win alternative to the FCC's proposal of putting individual spot prices online, which broadcasters strongly oppose. Attorney Jonathan Blake, representing the broadcasters, told the commission other broadcast groups had signaled they would be willing to support the compromise proposal.