(MN Senator) Dayton urges FCC to probe broadcaster 'Nightline' ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Sen. Mark Dayton, D-Minn., called on federal regulators Friday to investigate whether one of the nation's largest owners of television stations, Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc., unfairly denied the public access to ABC's "Nightline" program.

(snip)

In a letter to Federal Communications Commission Chairman Michael Powell -- son of Secretary of State Colin Powell -- Dayton said Sinclair's action "highlights the growing danger of media consolidation in this country."

Dayton said it concerns him that a single company can use its public airspace to prevent eight major U.S. markets from seeing politically controversial programming.

(snip)

FCC spokesman David Fiske said he could not say what action the agency might take. "The letter will be read seriously and reviewed seriously," he said. "Congressional mail is always taken very seriously."

(snip)

Dayton, who opposed military action in Iraq, called the "Nightline" program "a public tribute to those soldiers who have made the ultimate sacrifice."

Kevin Diaz is at kdiaz@mcclatchydc.com

http://www.startribune.com/stories/587/4753100.html

It's one thing for certain markets to get all prissy and ban a chaste lesbian kiss on a sitcom, quite another to ban NEWS.

By banning NEWS, they're violating their agreement to serve the public interest.

I hope these bastards have their broadcast licenses revoked, but we'll have to get rid of Powell's nitwit son at the FCC for that.

did well to ask these questions. I applaud his statements.

I'm glad to see a push back against these media conglomerates. Sinclair Broadcasting has acted as politically as they've charged Nightline with being. Those are public airwaves they are using.

Now, where are the other Democratic senators on this matter?

I think we need to push for decentralization of the media. Break up the monopolies, just like Ma Bell was broken up. Force them to sell off stations unless there is an adequate representation of competing stations owned by another company. Set a much lower limit on the number of channels, stations, and newspapers that any one company can own. (One of each would suit me.) Why should Rupert Murdoch/Clear Channel/Sinclair shape public opinion and censor what the public sees?

just what the media reports literally staggers a sensible forward looking mentality; can anyone doubt there's lots more, including actual payoffs/blackmailings of media operators and mihop (for example)?
many kinds of sat night live type programs can no longer work, the reality is so ridiculous it aint funny!

This is the second story in recent weeks where he has distinguished himself. The other time was the senior citizen bus trips to Canada that he paid for out of his pocket.

I smell a future Senate Minority/Majority Leader.

or whatever the name of that bill - pushed by Laci Peterson's mother - was.

He has been the Junior Senator living in the shadow of larger than life Paul Wellstone and he may try to earn his own wings.

And.... after Minnesota pugs won big in 2002, with Senator Norm Coleman and governor Pawlenty, Dayton is the only high-level Democrat in this former safe liberal state now a swing one.

Mike Hatch is the State Attorney General and is expected to take Pawlenty on in the next governor's race.

Mark has supported Roe vs Wade in the past and I was disappointed in his vote on that "rights of the unborn" bill. I fear this may have been strictly a political move. His presumed opponent in the 2006 Senate race is a prolifer and Minnesota is full of rabid prolife types - this vote may have been a move to ward off some problems on that issue.

Mark also voted against the Medicare bill and will have enough trouble getting the word out about why he voted against. His last campaign relied heavily on the senior vote and promising prescription drug legislation. The Repukes will no doubt hammer him for his vote on that bill.

Hopefully we'll smash headlong into it and everybody will realize what we've known for a while.

NOT.

The nerve of this company denying it's citizens the right to watch a program! I hope they get fined big time!

They reach 24% of viewing public.

FCC e-mails:
Chairman:
Michael.Powell@fcc.gov

Commissioners:

Kathleen.Abernathy@fcc.gov
Michael.Copps@fcc.gov
KJMWEB@fcc.gov (Kevin Martin)
Jonathan.Adelstein@fcc.gov


Clear Channel has it's monopoly on radio, I don't know what their dealings are as far as tv.

The part about Sinclair Group making even the weatherman read pro-Bush crap on their stations is nauseating. Now I know why 13 WLOS has such high turnover, even though Asheville is such a great place to live. Mike Bettis on the weather channel came from 13 WLOS, now I know why he left. And Heather Childers on channel 14 (or 9?) in Charlotte, is a WLOS alumni.