Iowans Petition To Deny KGAN License Renewal

[SOURCE: Broadcasting&Cable, AUTHOR: Allison Romano]
Local media activists in Iowa are preparing to file a petition with the FCC to deny a license renewal for Sinclair Broadcast Group’s ABC affiliate KGAN Cedar Rapids. The group, Iowans for Better Local Television, says the station violates FCC’s ownership rules by failing to provide sufficient local news, supplying inadequate broadcast signals and failing to meet standards for children’s programming. The group has been working for more than a year to gather evidence and support for its petition. Former FCC commissioner Nick Johnson, a well known critic of big-media ownership, has been advising the efforts. KGAN’s license came up for renewal in October, and, under FCC guidelines, the public has until Dec. 30, 2005, to file its petition. The Local Iowans group is calling on the FCC to hold a public hearing to determine if KGAN has met its “statutory public interest” standards before renewing the license.
http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6293866?display=Breaking+News...
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