Media watchdog revives license challenge over election coverage

[Commentary] A Chicago watchdog group that challenged the license renewals of nine Chicago television stations won't take "no" for an answer. Despite two earlier rejections of their petitions by the Federal Communications Commission, Chicago Media Action has filed yet another appeal to deny the renewals, claiming the stations failed to provide adequate news coverage of elections in 2004. Backed by the Media Access Project, a Washington-based public-interest law firm, the local group hopes a change in the White House and a reconstituted FCC might look more favorably on the appeal next year. The petition shows "the failure of the broadcasters in meeting their responsibilities concerning electoral democracy," said the CMA's Mitchell Szczepanczyk. A similar group, Milwaukee Public Interest Media Coalition, filed a parallel complaint against 11 stations in Milwaukee.