From the NewsMax.com Staff

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Sinclair Still Taking Heat at FCC

A left-wing group that claims to support freedom of the press is seeking to punish Sinclair Broadcast Group for exercising its freedom by airing parts of a newsworthy documentary exposing the pro-North Vietnam activities of John Kerry.

The film "Stolen Honor: Wounds That Never Heal," directed by Carlton Sherwood, claims that Kerry increased the suffering of American POWs held in Hanoi.

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The public broadcasting advocacy organization Free Press has petitioned the Federal Communications Commission challenging license renewal applications for Sinclair Broadcast Group's TV stations in North and South Carolina - and the organization promises that this assault on Sinclair is just the beginning.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Free Press is challenging the license renewals for six Sinclair stations along with two others owned by a closely affiliated firm, Cunningham Broadcasting.

The challenge follows the controversy over Sinclair's original plans to air "Stolen Honor."

Though the accuracy of the documentary has never been challenged on its presentation of facts, it became the focus of attacks by Kerry's campaign.

Though Sinclair offered Kerry equal time, which he turned down, the Kerry campaign still threatens Sinclair's broadcast licenses if Kerry wins the presidency.

As it turned out, Sinclair's special on the Vietnam issue in this campaign included only four minutes of "Stolen Honor."

Sinclair owns or controls 62 stations across the U.S.

Free Press's challenges, the Times predicts, are the first in what could be a series of such attacks against Sinclair's licenses as they come up for renewal in the months ahead.

The Times reports that Sinclair stations in Florida are up for renewal in January. Licenses are granted for eight-year periods.

Noting that Sinclair Broadcast Group is the largest TV station owner in the country, the leftist group says that Sinclair's programming reaches at least one-fourth of all U.S. households.

"Now, they're abusing their privileged access to the public airwaves to sway the election in favor of an administration that lets companies like Sinclair to grow even bigger," the Free Press Web site states.

The Web site makes no mention of the regular bias propagated on the major news networks, notably NBC, CBS and ABC.

"Sinclair is the poster child for abuse of the public airwaves," Josh Silver, Free Press executive director, said in a statement.

The Times reports that Silver alleges Sinclair had engaged in practices to evade FCC regulations by "combining a unique blend of self-serving, right-wing ideology with lawless behavior that requires the FCC to take action."

The challenge to the licenses could result in public hearings, which have been requested by Free Press.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:
2004 Elections
Media Bias

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