FCC Fines Comcast $4,000 For Airing Fake News Reports

[Nomad559]

http://rawstory.com//news/2007/FCC_fines_Comcast_for_VNRs_0924.html

Cable giant Comcast violated the law by broadcasting video news releases without identifying them as sponsored programming, the Federal Communications Commission announced today. The ruling came in response to a complaint from Free Press and the Center for Media and Democracy, a media watchdog group focusing on VNRs.

"In this Notice of Apparent Liability for Forfeiture (“NAL”), we find that Comcast Corporation (“Comcast”), which operates an affiliated regional cable network, CN8, is apparently liable for a forfeiture in the amount of four thousand dollars ($4,000) for violating Section 76.1615 of the Commission’s rules," the FCC ruled (word doc link).

The FCC ruling continued, "This rule generally requires cable operators engaged in origination cablecasting to make sponsorship identification announcements when presenting matter in return for money, service, or other valuable consideration. We find that Comcast cablecast portions of a video news release produced on behalf of “Nelson’s Rescue Sleep” without also airing required sponsorship identification announcements."

[sojourner]

1. oh..........huge fine, that! about as painful as a gnat!

[rurallib]

2. They sure pick strange spots to enforce their rules

I guess this throws a bone to some group to get that group off their back so they can get back to giving away the air waves to the corporations.
I hope that President ___________ dumps the current chair Kevin Martin and puts Michael Copps in as chair. That would make for wet pants in corporate boardrooms. That alone is enough reason to vote for a Democrat.

[cui bono]

3. Whoa! I just linked to this off of BuzzFlash!

Seriously, this is intentional fraud. $4,000 is the equivalent of a cup of coffee to them, if that.

[iaviate1]

4. Their shower curtain's are more expensive... each.

Our workers are PERSONALLY fined $10k by the government for each international bag that misses TSA screening. Personal fines for mistakes: $10,000 for each item. Corporate fines for intentional fraud: $4000 total. Is it fascism yet?

[antiimperialist]

5. Here are some videos of the fake news reports

http://www.prwatch.org/fakenews/findings/vnrs