Television stations and radio stations that use the limited broadcast spectrum of the public airwaves are licensed by the FCC to act in the public interest. But with the demise of the Fairness Doctrine and the takeover of local stations by large national corporate owners, operating in the public interest is at best a murky proposition.
Take the case of TV stations operated by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, which owns local TV stations in a number of markets. These stations are often times to the right of Fox News in delivering opinion content that’s directed from the management leadership, breaking down that wall between advertising and news that damages the integrity of the journalism viewers are treated to each night. When the Fairness Doctrine was in place, news stories had to have at least two sides of any political story; when I worked in radio news in New York, you couldn’t air a political story unless there was a comment from a Democrat and comment from a Republican (in fact, we often did two versions of the same story transposing both sources, literally bending over to be fair for both major parties). It wasn’t hard to do at all.
Imagine the Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity Radio program with “equal time” for those of us on the left….just imagine. When the Fairness Doctrine was in place, there was more balance and less political acrimony in public debate. Viewers and listeners were better informed.
Deadspin recently released a video showing anchors of Sinclair Broadcast Group TV stations reading the same scrpt, about “fake news” oddly enough, that’s done viral because the script is virtually identifical in exact message except for some localized text at the beginning. John Oliver featured it on Sunday’s edition of “Last Week Tonight.” Here it is.
The difference between cable network programs like MSNBC, CNBC, Fox News and CNN is these networks are delivered via subscription; they are not broadcast using public resources so they would never be required to file for a broadcast license with the FCC. Satellite radio requires special equipment and is subscription based, which is why you have uncensored versions of the Howard Stern show which could never be broadcast over public airwaves.
Simply put, TV stations operated by Sinclair Broadcast Group were exposed for presenting information that they are warning against. It’s the very definition of not operating in the public interest. Not happy about that? You could boycott sponsors like the one against Fox News’ Laura Ingraham which has already cost her 18 sponsors (and very possibly her job); similar boycotts against Bill O’Relly and Rush Limbaugh had various degrees of success too.
Perhaps it’s time to organize a challenge to the broadcast licenses of Sinclair’s local TV properties with the FCC (warning, some of the links in that post no longer work). It requires a little homework and anyone can go to the station to review a file of license-related documents to mine data for an effective challenge.
“Section 309(k) of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. Section 309(k), states that the Commission shall grant a license renewal application if it finds, with respect to that station, during the preceding license term, that: (1) the station has served the public interest, convenience, and necessity; (2) there have been no serious violations by the licensee of the Communications Act or the Commission’s Rules; and (3) there have been no other violations of the Act or the Commission’s rules which, taken together, would constitute a pattern of abuse. This question asks the applicant to certify that, with respect to the station for which a renewal application is being submitted, there were no violations of the Communications Act or the Commission’s Rules. If the renewal applicant has violated the Act or the rules, it must respond ‘No’ and submit an explanatory exhibit detailing the number and nature of the violations and the Commission adjudication.”
Time to visit the FCC site and make your voice heard.
For political candidates, reconsider advertising on Sinclair broadcasting properties. Election campaigns are cash cows for TV stations — find other ways to reach voters that might cost more but allow you to sleep at night.
From USA Today, Sinclair defends itself:
Dozens of stations belonging to the nation’s largest broadcaster have aired video promotions in the past few weeks in which their local on-air news hosts voice concerns about “the troubling trend of irresponsible, one-sided news stories plaguing our country.” The anchors then go on to say that many media outlets are publishing “fake stories” and pushing agendas.
The promotion looks unique in each market, but Sinclair’s corporate Hunt Valley, Md.-headquarters scripted and distributed it to its stations. After a video showing overlapping clips of anchors reciting the same script went viral, Democratic lawmakers and media critics condemned the company for thinly veiled editorializing that, they said, promoted President Trump’s attacks on the news media.
Rep. Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, tweeted Monday: “Local news stations now required by Sinclair Broadcasting to parrot the talking points of the President, moving America one step closer to its own version of state run media. And another freedom is assailed under this Administration.”