Sinclair Broadcasting intends to abuse the public trust given them in the form of a broadcasting license to air a Kerry smear-piece two weeks before the election. On principle, they should not be allowed to get away with it.
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Blast Sinclair on Principle even if you Don't Care about the Election
The following is a call-out by MoveOn.org. Some people don't think highly of MoveOn.org, but remember the Right Wing is organized and on the march. This is no time for quibbling. The media reform movement needs you now.
We have [yet another] media emergency. Sinclair Broadcast Group is now instructing their 62 local stations, many in battleground states, to pre-empt regular programming to air a Kerry smear piece two weeks before the election. This unprecedented move would be direct electioneering by a corporate media giant -- and against federal election law.
Your Chance to "Do Something"
One of the key things we can do today is put pressure on each of the local stations, which have a responsibility by law to serve their community interests. Can you make a call, right now, to your local station? You can look up your local station at:
http://www.sinclairwatch.org/act?z=21211
SinclairWatch.org is a new site maintained by our friends at Free Press. Free Press is also encouraging citizens to pledge to fight Sinclair stations' license renewals, if Sinclair follows through with using their stations for electioneering. Real local opposition to license renewal will be taken very seriously. If you don't have a station in your area, the site makes it easy for you to file a complaint with the FCC and contact Sinclair's headquarters. Just click the link above to get started.
MoveOn.Org wants to know if you called. You may inform them at:
http://www.moveon.org/sinclair2.html?id=4344-1876687-Mw4wjzNIoV15sZIArZPwHg
Besides the complaints that will surely be filed through the FEC and FCC, Sinclair will certainly hear from advertisers who face being implicated in this scheme and stockholders who face losing value in their investments in Sinclair.
As indicated below, the Mainsteam Print Media has done it's job to report on this. We need to do our job following up
Washington Post Article
Sinclair Stations to Air Anti-Kerry Documentary
By Paul Farhi
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, October 11, 2004; Page A07
Sinclair Broadcast Group of Maryland, owner of the largest chain of television stations in thenation, plans to preempt regular programming two weeks before the Nov. 2 election to air a documentary that accuses Sen. John F. Kerry of betraying American prisoners during the Vietnam War.
Sinclair has ordered its 62 stations, some of which are in the critical swing states of Ohio, Florida, Iowa and Wisconsin, to air "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal" during prime-time hours next week. The Sinclair station group collectively reaches 24 percent of U.S. television
households.
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A22788-2004Oct10.html
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