Posted by chicagomedia.org on September 02, 2008 at 09:43:43:
Media watchdog revives license challenge over election coverage
A local citizens 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.
Stations targeted are CBS-owned WBBM-Channel 2; NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 and WSNS-Channel 44; ABC-owned WLS-Channel 7; Tribune Co.-owned WGN-Channel 9; Weigel-owned WCIU-Channel 26; Fox-owned WFLD-Channel 32 and WPWR-Channel 50, and ION-owned WCPX-Channel 38.
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.
"It seems that the FCC is guided only by a malleable sense of 'bad faith' and precious little else besides bricks of lobbyist and industry cash," said the CMA's Mitchell Szczepanczyk.
The petition shows "the failure of the broadcasters in meeting their responsibilities concerning electoral democracy," he said.
A similar group, Milwaukee Public Interest Media Coalition, filed a parallel complaint against 11 stations in Milwaukee.
(FEDER/Sun-Times)