SINCLAIR ABUSE ACTION ALERT

[juliagoolia]

Take Action!

http://www.mediafordemocracy.us/campaign/sinclair1

Put the Public Interest First

Pappas Telecasting and Sinclair Broadcasting Group's efforts to influence our national elections should be a wake-up call for FCC Chairman Michael Powell. Powell has the power to tell broadcasters that misuse of our public airwaves comes at a cost -- that it is the “right of the viewers and listeners, not the right of the broadcasters, which is paramount.” But Powell's actions of late tell a story of a media regulator who is beholden to the industry he is supposed to rein in.

Now, the transition to digital television lets Sinclair create up to six channels of programming in the broadcast space it now uses to broadcast one. That means that Sinclair’s 62 stations will have the programming power of 372 channels. This huge digital giveaway to broadcasters is worth tens of billions of dollars. If companies like Sinclair get their wish, and regulators require cable companies to carry all their new digital programs, their reach and influence will become even more powerful.