FCC Denies complaint against Televangelists

[Ian David]

FCC to Coalition: Complaint Denied
"Educational" channels for televangelists will continue

The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has denied a May 2004 complaint filed by the Secular Coalition for America against satellite television provider DirecTV. The complaint alleged that DirecTV was improperly granting television channel capacity to televangelists, even though the channel capacity in question had been specifically reserved by law for "educational or informational" programming.
http://www.secular.org/fcc.html

"This decision is disappointing," said Coalition President Herb Silverman. "It is further evidence that, in the eyes of the Bush Administration, the religious right can do no wrong."

Attorney David Niose, who filed the Coalition's complaint, pointed out that the FCC decision failed to directly address many of the allegations made in the Coalition's complaint. For example, the Coalition presented evidence that some religious programmers were conducting advertising on the subject channels, in direct violation of the FCC's rules, but the FCC ignored these facts in issuing its decision.

"On the facts and the law, this complaint was meritorious," Niose said. "The details of the Secular Coalition's allegations were largely ignored in the decision."

FCC rules require satellite providers to set aside four percent of available channel capacity for non-commercial "educational or informational" programming. In creating these rules years ago, the FCC predicted that the channels would be used for innovative programming such as long-distance learning, programming for the arts, health care programming and foreign language programming.

Instead, the complaint points out, the channels have been given away to televangelists who use them for preaching and fundraising.

Secular Coalition activists were urged in Sept. to write letters of support for the complaint to the FCC. Niose told the Coalition's board of directors that the FCC confirmed the receipt of mail from supporters.
http://www.secular.org/write_fcc.html

The Coalition also conducted a PreacherWatch campaign to collect data online about televangelist programming. Information gathered in the PreacherWatch project may prove useful if further action is taken by the Coalition.
http://www.secular.org/preacher.html

Silverman says the Secular Coalition is considering whether to appeal the decision.