FCC Orders End to Free Ads for GOP

[maddezmom]

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - A California broadcaster cannot give Republican candidates free air time unless the same offer is extended to other candidates, the Federal Communications Commission (news - web sites) ruled Friday.


Pappas Telecasting Cos., which donated $325,000 in air time on its radio and TV stations to 13 GOP county committees last week, had insisted the gifts were legal and did not trigger federal equal time rules.


It was not clear whether the company would appeal the staff ruling to the full commission. Calls to the Visalia company's spokesman were not immediately returned.


"I would have been amazed if the commission had done anything else," said Tracy Westen, chief executive officer of the Center for Governmental Studies, a nonpartisan research organization in Los Angeles.

more: http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=696&e=1&u=/ap/20041030/ap_on_el_pr/broadcast_donation

[Dookus]

1. wow...

some things are so blatant that even the FCC can't defend them.

[BrendaStarr]

18. After 4 more years though...

God help us if Bush wins.

[George_S]

23. Get 'em! They are the Sinclair Broadcast of the west

Our duty is to serve the public interest, convenience and necessity. A true broadcaster has to perform two roles comfortably: one, that of public trustee, and the second, that of responsible businessperson. Our business interests cannot supersede or contravene our duty as public trustee.

The Federal Communications Commission states, "Programming is the essence of broadcasting." All material we broadcast must be truthful. We must seek to serve the needs, tastes and interests of the public we serve in each local area. We entertain, inform, educate and stimulate our audiences. Our newscasts must adhere to the highest and best standards and traditions of broadcast journalists. Where programming is supplied by others, we must endeavor to persuade our content providers that contemporary community standards of decency and good taste are to be respected, and that we seek to broadcast programming with a due regard for the conventions, beliefs, morals and religious values of the various persons who together represent the communities we are obliged to serve.

http://www.pappastv.com/WhoWeAre.asp

[Cerridwen]

2. yessss! - n/t

[Steelangel]

3. So FCC decide to take some actions about it...

[Skittles]

7. yes, they decided to do their f***ing job

about g.d. time

[havocmom]

4. So how many days passed before they decided to enforce the law?

How much free air time has the GOP used? We gotta do something to remid broadcasters that they use OUR public ariways with their equipment. They don't own the friggin air.

[WCGreen]

5. How many already ran......

And he could just turn around and do a "editorial"

[fugue]

6. So will they have to air Dem ads until the election?

No? I didn't think so.

It's nice that the FCC stopped it, but the damage is done.

[BrendaStarr]

19. Good point.

So actually the FCC is doing little.

Another thing I blame on Bush bitch Colin is his son.

[juliagoolia]

8. YES YES !!!! victory for the little guys.. US

Finally.. good news on media abuse

[Amigust]

9. Not good enough unless they immediately give similar air time to Democrats

[shraby]

10. Let the Dems have enough time

to equal all of the time the Repugs have already had.

[iam]

11. This is IT everyone!

Get of yer asses and Do something with the few remaining days we have! Call a friend, call a sranger, anything to get these animals out of the seat of power. What will you tell your children when they ask you what you did to protect freedom? What will you say when your kids ask why we can see the air? What a tiger is? Why are the police in the LIBRARY? What will you say?

[blue agave]

12. Could it have anything to do with ....

Howard Stern bitch slapping Powell junior this week ?

[ydya]

13. No. It is Cal and they figure they aren't winning here anyways, so

they make a big show of being "fair and balanced", and also avoid getting their asses handed to them. Bet your ass it wont be the same for similar allegations in swing states. Those will wait till after the election. I'm thinking this is just to pretend fairness so they can have their way in more crucial instances. I don't think anything these crooked fuckers do is without ulterior motives. Michael Powell is a sellout just like his father.

[0007]

14. Vote your guts out!

Vote as if your life depended on it, because it does.

Call 866 687-8683
If Poll Workers refuse you to vote for any reason
If there is a late opening or early closing of a polling place.
If your polling place runs out of ballots or has an incorrect ballot
If you experience poll worker insensitivity or discrimination in the voting process

The civil rights community have set up a toll-free Election Day hotline. This line is staffed now and,
in addition to logging your complaint, the civil rights organizations have law students and attorneys
who can provide assistance on Election Day.

The hotline number is
866 687-8683
202 457-0473 fax

When you call the hotline, be prepared to give your name, telephone number, and note as many
details as possible, including the names of the people who are involved.

[Lostnote03]

15. Which Company has a larger audience?

....Sinclair or this jerks???....GOP , Mission Accomplishes....

[tinanator]

16. bad news I heard the trade off was for bay area spanish language time

I cant help but laugh at optimism directed towards the FCC today.
come on people, its up to us, not them!

[Bandit]

17. Okay so what?????

The damage is done. The ads were placed and run. Apparently there will be no fines or anything. This is just a blatant type of stamp of approval for future activities of the same type.

[Sparky McGruff]

20. Oh, they're not taking Fox News off the air...

Saw the "ending free ads for the GOP" line. I thought that meant they were pulling Fox News off the air.

[loudsue]

21. This is NOT because they're going "change" -- they're afraid of Kerry

reinstating the Fairness Doctrine....which I hope like hell he does within 20 minutes of being in office!!

If the Fairness Doctrine, which was trashed by Reagan, is reinstated, then we can start splitting up these media monopolies.

:kick::kick::kick:

[crossroads]

22. A little effin late ain't it???

Slimeballs!
:bounce:

[are_we_united_yet]

24. Whewwww!

Just in in a nick time. Thank you Michael.

:wtf: