Our “Petition to Deny” Fox a local station TV license continues to gain attention and support.
Truly unbelievable news! Our petition to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) asking for a public hearing on whether FOX is qualified to remain an FCC broadcast licensee for a local TV station it owns is gathering steam – and media attention.
We have received THREE TREMENDOUS submissions to the FCC in support of our effort from prominent voices within the media community:
Former Chair of the FCC Alfred Sikes submitted a letter to the FCC.
Founding President of Fox Broadcasting Channel Jamie Kellner submitted a letter to the FCC.
Former Fox News contributor Bill Kristol, and former PBS President and FCC alum, Ervin Duggan, have submitted a must-read second fiery and convincing letter in addition to their prior powerful letter adding to their enthusiastic support of our petition.
This week we filed a Reply to Fox’s Opposition to having a public hearing. Read it – we are doing this for a more pro-democracy future for everyone in the USA.
ACTIONS for you to take to help us Take on Fox:
1- Please donate today to help fund our legal bills and growth to keep fighting this fight. Chip in $10, $25 or $50 in our fight against Fox propaganda on behalf of all Americans. If you already donated thank you – if not what are you waiting for? (It’s easy to donate, you don’t need to make an account to donate: Venmo, PayPal, CC).
2- Please amplify and share news of our effort including this email and our Tweet and your favorite social media platforms about our petition.
3- For more information see our website:
https://www.mediaanddemocracyproject.org/fcc-license-renewal-challenge
Press Release
August 22, 2023
WASHINGTON, D.C., August 22, 2023 — Today, three blockbuster filings were submitted to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in support of the Media and Democracy Project’s (MAD) petition challenging the broadcast license renewal application for FOX Corp-owned television station FOX 29 Philadelphia (WTXF).
The filings include MAD’s formal reply to Fox Television Stations (FTS) opposition submitted earlier this month. MAD is joined by a growing bipartisan coalition filing informal objections calling for an FCC hearing to fully consider the fitness of FOX Corporation (FOX) and the Murdochs to continue as licensees of the public airwaves.
Informal objections were filed by former PBS President and FCC Commissioner Ervin S. Duggan, former Weekly Standard Editor William Kristol, and founding President of Fox Broadcasting Company Jamie Kellner.Media and Democracy Project Formal ReplyThe lies about the 2020 election that aired on Fox News, authorized at the highest levels of FOX’s corporate structure to retain FOX’s conservative viewer base and reverse failing ratings, represent a severe breach of the FCC policy on licensee character qualifications, MAD reaffirmed today in a legal response to their effort to call for an evidentiary hearing into the matter.In the reply, MAD took the opportunity to fact check and debunk various “strawman” arguments made by FTS in defense of WTXF. MAD argues that not only does the FCC have the authority to convene a hearing, but it has an obligation to do so built on decades of precedent. According to MAD, “Never in the history of the Commission has the agency been confronted with a license renewal applicant whose parent was found by a court of law to have repeatedly presented false news.”On whether MAD has made the case that FOX is not qualified to be an FCC licensee and the policy violations are sufficient to require an evidentiary hearing, the filing stated:“FOX knew – from the Murdochs on down – that Fox News was reporting false and dangerous misinformation about the 2020 Presidential election, but FOX was more concerned about short-term ratings and market share than the long-term damage caused by its spreading disinformation.”“What is astounding is the Opposition’s [FOX’s] utter failure to reckon with the findings of false statements in Dominion that raise substantial and material questions of FOX’s character qualifications to be an FCC licensee.””FOX has demonstrated a willingness to lie to preserve its corporate profits. FOX’s lies concerning the outcome of the 2020 election caused a great injury to the American people and the institutions of our democracy. FOX’s willingness to lie demonstrates a fatal character flaw.”Responding to accusations that holding FOX accountable violates the First Amendment, MAD writes:“This is not a First Amendment case. Rather the issue here concerns a corporation that, with the full knowledge and approval of its management, lied to millions of Americans. The question before the Commission is not whether FOX had a right to lie, rather it is about the consequences of those lies and the impact on FOX’s qualifications to remain an FCC licensee.” A copy of the MAD’s formal reply to FOX’s opposition is available here.
See full press releases:
Kristol and Duggan
Sikes
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