FCC Wants us to call! Number/Form below

Just heard on Air America that FCC WANTS us to call them. They've been inundated with calls and they are logging all the complaints.

The number: 1-888-225-5322

Also, try freepress.net Supposedly they have a form letter to file a complaint with the FCC. The site is down right now, but keep trying!

http://www.freepress.net/sinclair/dn.php

Edited b/c Cal04 found the direct link!

THIS MUST BE DONE!!!

lets make sure this stays up and will call tomorrow

:kick:

I managed to file a complaint there earlier today, though the site was slow.

I have emailed Sinclair, bunches of their affiliate stations, bunches of advertisers, the FEC, FCC and my senators!

mung.

You can send this or write your own and it takes you to the FCC site for confirmation

http://www.freepress.net/sinclair/dn.php

I looked and looked for it. Great job! Can I nominate this for the homepage? LOL.

to relax ownership rules. It's a beaut. I just hope all our complaints go through.

And I hope people take the time to write their own comments instead of sending it with the boilerplate already there.

I have a suggestion. Don't mention Kerry in your complaint to the FCC. Simply say that you are complaining about SBG's plans to violate federal election law.

In layperson's terms, please

:kick:

Your Confirmation Number is: '20041012846872 '

We can check back in 24 hours for an update on our complaint!

:hi:

*Cha-ching!*

Keep those calls and letters flowing.

Sinclair must lose these stations where we have the chance this year. Make him accountable.

Sonia

:kick:

sent. thanks for this link.

I'm glad to hear the FCC is taking this serious.

I'm glad to hear the FCC is taking this serious.

I called the FCC. They took my info (and are enjoying this) and asked me to email them as well at:

campaignlaw@fcc.gov

That seems the quickest way to file with them.

Hallelujah! The American People are waking up.

Thanks for the link.

Gyre

with this Bush gang I am sure I will be needing it again.

It was quick and easy.

Also got my confirmation number.

I just filed a complaint, too.

:kick:

I guess the office is closed.

I did send the e-mail.

Keep fighting.

Sinclair Broadcasting's decision to force thier stations to air propoganda, with no basis of truth, on the eve of a National Election is outrageous. Their story says John Kerry accused all veterans of war crimes. His testimony, available at c-span.org for all to see in its entirety, shows that he said only that crimes WERE committed and ORDERED bu their commanders who were not held accountable. This film is not journalism. It is truth-twisting propoganda used by a conservative station to sway a Presidential Election.
Sinclair Broadcasting's decision to force their stations to air an anti-Kerry documentary days before the election is a clear example of the dangers of media consolidation.

Sinclair uses the public airwaves free of charge, and is obligated by law to serve the public interest. But when large companies control the airwaves, we get more of what's good for the bottom line and less of what we need for our democracy. Instead of something produced at "News Central" far away, it's more important that we see real people from our own communities and more substantive news about issues that matter.

Sinclair's actions show why we need to strengthen media ownership rules, not weaken them. They show why the license renewal process needs to involve more than a returned postcard. Thank you.

Thanks for the link!

:kick:

mw

I just tried to call and got a series of recorded messages. I'll try again in the morning.

Filled out and form page forwarded to friends.

Let's keep this bumped, I'll make some phone calls tomorrow.

20041012820383 .

I got through. I hope we can make a difference

Kick and keep this one on top PLEASE

My letter:

I'm still in shock upon reading that Sinclair Broadcasting Co., a publicly traded company no less, has decided to force its 62 local affiliates to air a 45 minute smear against John Kerry. This offends me on so many levels, I hardly know where to begin.

First, Mr. Kerry is only one of two real candidates for the Presidency of the United States. For Sinclair to order its affiliates to use public airwaves for political propaganda, this is in my eyes an attempt at electioneering and thus only a step shy of oh-so-subtle treason. I consider the use of public airwaves in this manner to be an affront to our Constutionally mandated electoral system, and I sincerely hope that you, the FCC, will help us citizens reject this shameless attempt at such.

Second, for Sinclair to have the audacity to call this film "news" in order to dance around the apparently cumbersome issue of fairness, is an attempt at rules manipulation that would make Enron proud.

Perhaps I believe so strongly about this because I can see this as one of the first real tests of a media giant to bend the will of Americans rather than report it. I urge you to act quickly in stopping this, as I most sincerely hope that the will of the people is still stronger than those who would subvert it.

without any prompting from me. i nearly fainted. he is a good guy, and aware, but he is not the activist that i am. he doesn't usually do anything like that unless i tell him about it.

gave my feedback - site worked great this morning - got my confirmation and all.

Keep on sending your complaints!

I'm at work, so I can't call...I work at a call center.

Filed a complaint with the FCC!

Sinclair Broadcast Group's decision to air a blatantly partisan attack program on all of their stations is despicable. It should be considered a campaign contribution since it obviously is NOT news.

The Smith brothers have contributed over $60,000 to the Republican party and Republican candidates this year. The editorials that are archived on their own websites are all right wing diatribes against John Kerry.

Additionally, the company stock has dropped from $7.50 two days ago to open at $7.29 this morning. They are obviously hurting their stockholders by their decision and should be held accountable.

Do not let this partisan misuse of America's airwaves to happen.

xxx

Am trying to collect names of local Sinclair Advertisers today.

:kick:

Do you live in a Sinclair media market? (Check here to find out.)

If so, watch tonight's evening newscast and write down a list of the advertisers (especially the local ones) who have commercials running during the broadcast.

Write up a list, as brief, clear and concise as possible, including the names of the advertisers and the time and date of the program you watched them on. Of course, include the name of the affiliate and the city too. Then send them in to us. Make the Subject heading "ADVERTS."

-- Josh Marshall


http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2004_10_10.php#003661

I can't complain because Sinclair is not violating anything and the FCC has no authority over what people broadcast! I asked if a station ran F911 from now until election, nonstop with no commercials, they couldn't do anything, and she said no they wouldn't have authority to stop it! She told me I needed to contact representatives to have new laws passed if I was upset. What exactly are they telling you guys when you call?

and a snotty and/or overworked employee told me that I had to file a complaint on the website. When I pressed her further she said that I could leave a message for the FCC. Which I did. I also filed a complaint through the above website, to the FCC.

I complained about the lie-umentry but also include a little bit about Sinclairs response.

Sinclair vice president Mark Hyman said that every car bomb in Iraq is an "in-kind contribution to John Kerry," Sinclair argument that every American death in Iraq is an add for Kerry is ridiculous.

1. First the lie-umentry they are broadcasting is a direct attack on JFK. There is no inference the listener can draw from the propaganda.
2. News reports are perceived differently by different people. Just because the media reports that a car bomb goes off in Iraq doesn’t mean that people will associate that such an event is a failure of the Bush administration and thus one should vote for Kerry. In fact, many people would blame the problem on the terrorist and hope for more of the same of Bush.

The primary difference is that one is news and the other is opinion piece given a prime time slot to influence an election. This is an outrage and must be halted immediately. Many supporters of democracy are already writing letter and boycotting advertisers of Sinclair. I would suggest that you heed this warning because if half the country is willing to boycott advertisers that run ads on stations your whole propaganda model(see Manufacturing Consent by Noam Chomsky) could collapse.

only took less than 10 min to do both an e-mail and call the FCC - the rep i talked to on the phone was very pleasant and even seemed to suggest that they were REALLY interested in this topic. I suggested that Sinclair should be made to level the playing field by airing 9/11 for free the next night at the same prime time.

right after I heard about freepress.net and then told my sister-in-law about it.

and received confirmation number. Thanks. Very important.

let them hear from all 50,000 of us!

This is what I wrote:

Oh, my! Where to start. How unAmerican this broadcast is, and what is this country coming to. It is vital to the survival of our democracy that fairness rule our airwaves. We, the people, should be able to insist on this fairness in a responsble way. I'm thinking, at this point in time, that even this ability to protest by all Americans is in danger.

It appears that media consolidation was a very bad idea. Sinclair Broadcasting's decision to force their stations to air an anti-Kerry documentary days before the election is a clear example of this reprehensible state of affairs. Americans are, of necessity, rising up in protest.

Perhaps since Sinclair uses their clout distinctly for the Republican Party, they should pay for their use of the public airwaves. But, since they do not, they are obligated by law to serve the public interest. Last time I checked, this was a government of, by and for the people, not of, by and for corporate interests.

Sinclair's actions are unconscionable and indefensible; and, demonstrate why we need to strengthen media ownership rules, instead of the constant weakening that is going on now. It is past time that the license renewal process involves more than a rubber stamp. Thank you.

And forwarding info to some of my groups!
Kick!

This is a little different than the form letter provided by
Freepress. I decided to do my own. . .

I must protest Sinclair Broadcasting's decision to air an obviously partisan movie length campaign ad : Stolen Honor. This is NOT news, nor is it a real documentary, but rather anti-Kerry propaganda, as well as a certifiable campaign contribution. How much is air time worth on the Sinclair network, that is, the ratio of dollars to minutes, and how much in those dollars is Sinclair allowed to contribute to the Bush campaign? I think this is a valid question, and is worthy of investigation.