Sinclair Broadcast flap - further update

The Anti-Defamation League has gotten in on this one. It was only a matter of time. Excerpt from an ADL letter to the Washington Post:

Regardless of Mr. Hyman's opinion of the quality of news coverage relating to Presidential campaign issues, his analogy to those who deny the Nazi murder of 6 million Jews and millions of others is insensitive and painful. Usage of Holocaust imagery to score a political point is unacceptable. He should repudiate the comment.

Sincerely,

Abraham H. Foxman
National Director

Josh Marshall has taken up the Sinclair Broadcasting flap. And Josh Marshall gets answers. He has apparently written to Reed Hundt (ex-FCC commissioner who wrote the "warning" letter) to Sinclair. It concludes:

Broadcasters understand that they have a special and conditional role in public discourse. They received their licenses from the public -- licenses to use airwaves that, for instance, cellular companies bought in auctions -- for free, and one condition is the obligation to help us hold a fair and free election. The Supreme Court has routinely upheld this "public interest" obligation. Virtually all broadcasters understand and honor it.

Sinclair has a different idea, and a wrong one in my view. If Sinclair wants to disseminate propaganda, it should buy a printing press, or create a web site. These other media have no conditions on their publication of points of view. This is the law, and it should be honored. In fact, if the FCC had any sense of its responsibility as a steward of fair elections its chairman now would express exactly what I am writing to you here.

-- Reed Hundt

Marshall also has the confirming transcript of Mark Hymen's comments regarding the bombing of Iraq being a free Kerry campaign ad.

And....he has comments from readers about the way to get Sinclair's attention:

I’ve worked in the media business for 30 years and I guarantee you that sales is what these local TV stations are all about. They don’t care about license renewal or overwhelming public outrage. They care about sales only, so only local advertisers can affect their decisions.

Here's how to have an impact on the local Sinclair stations: first, watch the station and make a list of all of the local advertisers. Then, write to the sales manager -- not the general manager, but the sales manager -- and tell him that you're going to contact all of the local advertisers to register a protest about the station airing this program. Be specific -- link

As suggested in a post you have further down, I just called the Cincinatti station's sales mgr. He was really concerned when I read him a list of local adverstisers and said I'd be calling their advertising managers to express my displeasure that they choose to advertise on a Sinclair station. He practically begged me not to, saying "this involves people's livelihoods." And then I did call the local advertisers.

So you are correct. Local stations -- SALES MANAGERS and local advertisers AD MANAGERS are the pressure point. -- link

Lastly, Marshall offers some pointers on calling the advertisers (including, don't be a dick - but not in those words), and a list of Sinclair's local stations.

Knock your lights out.

...or do what you want...you will anyway.